Partners
by TheLorax25
Summary: For centuries we have guarded you- offering protection from the dark things that raise the hairs on the back of your necks. We have saved you from the shadows in the corners of your eyes that you pretended not to see. We skirt the fringes of this world, we hide in plain sight, we dispel the darkness you never even knew was there. We are The Bureau... Inu/Kag, Sess/Rin, Mir/Sango
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Time for a Change**

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The view from the windows of the office on the forty-third floor was breathtaking.

The sun had dipped below the horizon hours ago, leaving the city of Tokyo a palette of bright yellows, blues and reds. The woman inhaled deeply and pressed her hand to the glass as her eyes scanned the sprawling city of lights beneath her.

Normally she found the flashing lights and constant din of the bustling city to be overbearing but from this height, in this room so far away from the crowded streets and oppressive sounds, it was beautiful. The people, the lights and the cars all meshed together seamlessly, moving around each other like clockwork. She even had a clear view of Tokyo Tower sparkling brightly above it all against the dark black sky.

She was sure she could spend her night staring out this window and be content...unfortunately, there was still work to be done.

As if on cue, a whimper sounded behind her.

She sighed- duty called.

With one last withering glance to the illuminated cityscape, she turned to the source of the sound- a portly man huddled in the far corner of the ransacked office.

He was an unimpressive sight, even before the tears and bruising. His middle was a near perfect circle and the heaving sobs that shook him caused the buttons on his shirt to stretch dangerously, revealing a bit of the pink flesh beneath. His large head held a smattering of salt and pepper hair, enough to cover the entire surface, but only just and with the aid of a lotof gel and some _very_ deliberate styling.

His face was as round as his body, and -at the moment- was a blotchy canvas of pink and white, adding to his already piggish appearance. His beefy hands -which were bound together by a line of telephone wire- sat in his lap, shaking uncontrollably.

His dark eyes met hers and he sniffled loudly. "P-please, please!" He begged. "You-You don't want to do this!"

The woman tisked loudly and moved towards him, one of the tantō she held swayed back and forth in tune with the sound. "Really?" her tone was light with amusement. "I've been your secretary for months…dealing with you staring me up and down day after day after day; your hand always "accidentally" brushing my ass." She snorted and bent down until their faces were inches apart. "I promise you," she whispered, her eyes holding his as she pressed the second blade under his chin. "I _really_ do want to do this."

His eyes widened, a sob bubbled past his lips.

"But all in good time, Mr. Tsumi," she pushed herself back and stood, her hands tugged down the hem of her pencil skirt, "We have some business to finish up first."

"I-I told you, I don-d-don't have anything."

The woman sighed, the breath ruffling the fringe of her black bangs. "Mr. Tsumi," her tone was light with playful exasperation, "I know you're lying."

The glass from a fallen picture crunched beneath her black heels as she strode around the room. "I've been working here for months, remember? You've been very good about hiding your... less than desirable transactions. I am impressed," her eyes locked onto his, the blue of her irises were cold, "but I'm not after information on your petty illegalities, Mr. Tsumi."

She finished circling the room and stood before him again, he recoiled sharply as she dropped back to her knees before him. His eyes flickered from the shining blades in her hands to the smile on her face. Tears rolled down his round cheeks.

"You have something I wa-ant." She sing-songed. "Now tell me where it is."

He shook his head "I-I don't-"

The blade pressed against his cheek, stopping the words in his throat.

"The truth, Mr. Tsumi." The second tantō traced his throat.

Tsumi looked to something over her shoulder and gurgled a response.

A smirk pulled at the edges of her painted lips. "Good boy." The blade tapped his cheek lightly before she stood, turning to face a small framed painting on the wall.

It was one of those artsy stock paintings that usually came with the frame, a few broad strokes of green, some contrasting thin strokes of blue. A jumble of color with no substance.

She lifted it off the wall and turned it in her hands. Behind her Tsumi shuffled around, she ignored him- sure that his dislocated shoulder had taught him the repercussions of an escape attempt.

Her fingers traced the paper covering the back of the painting and she breathed out a contented "ahhh" when she felt a small lump beneath the thin brown paper.

Her hands made quick work of ripping through the sheet. "Very good boy, Mr. Tsumi." She threw him a smile over her shoulder and pulled a flash drive from the frame. The painting fell to the floor with a thump.

"I guess this concludes our business then, ne?" She was in front of him again, kneeling so they were eye level. "Gotta say, you are a pretty lousy boss."

Tsumi whimpered, "You-you've got what you wanted. Please, let me-"

The tantō pressed against his lips, cutting off his sentence.

She shook her head. "You know I can't do that. Oh, don't cry…" she cooed, "I promise this will only hurt for a moment."

She held his gaze as the second tantō pierced his chest. The garbled wail he released quickly devolved into a moist gasp, then silence.

The woman waited patiently for the life to flicker from Mr. Tsumi's eyes before she removed the blade. She dragged the broad side against the lapels of his jacket and stood.

A crackle of static disrupted the silence of the room.

"Are you done yet?" A female voice came through the piece in her ear.

"Yeah," she retrieved her purse from the leather lounge in the corner of the room, pulled out her blazer and dropped the tantōs in the bag. "I think I've got everything." She pulled her black blazer over her white button down shirt, readjusted her skirt and gave the room a final once over before heading for the exit.

She hovered at the door for a moment, her hand poised at the knob and her teeth worrying her lip indecisively. With a sigh and roll of her eyes she turned and strode back to the man in the corner of the room. She quickly rearranged the body into a more dignified pose on the floor, slid his eye lids shut then left the room.

"How are things on your end?" She mashed the yellow down button on the elevator and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited. The elevator dinged and the doors opened, the woman stepped in and pressed the red L.

She heard a sigh over the earpiece. "I'm mostly done here, nothing too interesting. I'll be done in ten."

"'Kay." The elevator dinged again and the doors opened into the deserted lobby of the upscale office building. She hastily pulled open the large glass doors and inhaled deeply as she stepped into the cool summer night.

She gracefully weaved through the crowded Tokyo streets, humming a tune as she readjusted the strap of her purse. Her heels _clack clacked_ against the pavement as she turned down a deserted side street.

Halfway down the block, leaning against one of the few parked cars was a disgruntled young woman in a black corset and matching short skirt, staring towards the other end of the street. The woman grinned to herself and sidled up to the girl.

Upon noticing her company the girl's features folded into a scowl. The woman ignored the obvious contempt and placed her hand on the girl's exposed arm, her eyes scanned the young woman's body with exaggerated hunger. "So, how much for an hour with you, baby?"

"Oh, ha, ha Kagome." The younger girl glared and flicked off Kagome's hand with her forefinger and thumb. "You're hilarious."

Kagome smirked "Sorry Rin, couldn't resist," She shoved her hand into her purse and pulled out the car keys. "How long were you waiting?"

"Long enough to wonder why I didn't put up a fight about getting the keys. I got harassed by every perv in the area."

Kagome flashed a playful grin and pulled open the door. "Who knew a little makeup would make my little Rinny such a convincing lady of the night." Rin scowled and dropped into the back seat.

In contrast to Kagome -whose almond eyes, high cheekbones and slender face made her a picture of feminine maturity- Rin's features were far more youthful. She stood a few inches shorter than the other woman, her round face still retained a bit of childhood chub and with her wide brown doe eyes and bow lips, she normally looked more school girl than harlot.

Tonight however, her face had been shaded, contoured and blushed to mimic features she didn't have and her usually pigtailed brown hair lay in loose curls down her back. But even without those additions, the barely-there outfit made it no mystery why she had attracted so many potential John's.

"And of course, I couldn't even do anything about it." Rin continued to huff. "Don't wanna hear baba going on about hurting civilians again."

"First," Kagome began as she adjusted her mirror to look at Rin. "Her name is Kaede-sama, have some respect." Rin rolled her eyes and lay down across the backseat. Kagome turned on the radio, "Second, someone had to play the part. Trust me, we've all been there. And third," she cast a harsh glare over her shoulder at the younger girl lounging on the leather seats. "Get those dirty heels off of my seat."

Rin grunted and dropped her feet to the floor. "You're as bad as Sango."

"Yeah, right. You would have lost the shoes and your legs if this was Sango's car." Rin laughed. "So, how was your assignment?"

"Well, the asshole was a little too touchy for my tastes, had to tie him up to get him to cooperate." Rin shrugged at Kagome's raised brow. "As you said, someone had to play the part, and I honor the actors craft." Kagome snorted. "Most of his stuff was on his laptop so I copied some stuff and sent what I could to Intel. Don't worry, I fried the computer afterwards. It really didn't look like anything new though."

There was a sharp _knock_ from the passenger side window, ending the conversation and bringing both girls' attention the grinning face framed by straight brown hair outside.

Rin pushed herself up, stretched to the front seat and rolled down the window. "Sorry ma'am, I think you have the wrong car."

"Rin, if you don't open this door right now…" The woman's deep set eyes narrowed in a glare. Rin let out a petulant huff and flipped the lock.

"You're no fun, Sango."

Once she was in Kagome started the engine and pulled onto the street. "It's so unfair that you got to dress normally." She said, speaking of her friend's plain blue jeans, and jacket covered T-shirt, a backpack was slung over her shoulder.

Sango shrugged, "Snooping through tapes doesn't really call for dress up."

"More reason why I should've done it. All I own are sweat pants! I had to borrow this from the Kits." Rin whined from the backseat, gesturing to her corset.

Sango wrinkled her nose. "You should definitely burn that; I wouldn't trust anything from that oversexed lot." Rin visibly paled. "And remember, you're still a greenhorn, Rin. You may be skilled in a lot of areas, but you know hand to hand is not one of them."

Rin pouted, but held her tongue, she couldn't deny the truth. Out of The Academy she had been touted as one of the best hackers they'd ever seen. She could break into the most secure databases in minutes, a trait which earned her offers in both R&D and the agency's Intelligence department, but she rejected those offers in favor of field work.

But Sango was right, she was good at hand to hand, but _good_ didn't guarantee survival against the few dozen guards that had been in their targets' building the past few days.

Things like this were best left to Sango. Not only was she unmatched at hand to hand, she also excelled with a blade and she alone could wield the giant bone boomerang that hung in the weapons room at their home.

"I just want to know why both men decided to increase their personal security." Kagome muttered, disturbing the comfortable silence that had settled over them. "Was there a leak or something? I'm sure we were discrete."

"The security wasn't for us," Sango replied.

They had been driving for a while, the lights and steady buzz of Tokyo had long since faded to the quiet tree lined streets of the outer province.

Kagome pulled off the main road and pressed down on the gas, heading full speed towards a cluster of trees. There was a crack and a sizzle then a wave of pale blue shimmered around them for an instant as the car passed through the tree trunks effortlessly. When the light cleared, they were driving down an incline bordered by cement walls, with only the yellow glow of the headlights for guidance down the narrow tunnel.

"Who then?" Rin asked, sitting up to lean between the driver and passenger seats, her hand reached to the radio only to be slapped away.

Kagome shot her a scowl in the rearview. "My car, my music."

The car jerked to a stop in front of a stone wall and Kagome reached out of the window and placed her hand on a grey strip of concrete. A moment passed in silence before a beep of recognition sounded from somewhere on the other side of the cement.

With a groan and a rumble the wall in front of them slid away, revealing another darkened passageway.

"I'm not sure." Sango began again, her steady voice dipping with curiosity. "But both men procured additional security measures. Not just with guards, there were new cameras installed all over the building. I found some tapes-"

"Oooh, what kind of tapes?" Rin smirked and wiggled her eyebrows. Sango rolled her eyes.

"You're very childish for your age, Rin, are you aware?"

She shrugged. "I like holding on to my youth."

Sango scoffed, "Maybe you should try loosening your grip." She ignored Rin's pout. "As I was saying both men's _security_ tapes showed numerous visits from the same guy."

"So?" Kagome interjected, "That doesn't mean much. They were in similar fields and neither were exactly model citizens, I'm sure they have the occasional shady client overlap."

Sango shook her head. "No, he wasn't a client and he definitely was not making a social call. You can't hear it all on the tapes, but whatever was said scared them. They started amping up security after his last visit." She paused and furrowed her brow. "I'm positive I've seen him somewhere before."

"Excellent," Rin chimed in. "Finally, something new! You did get everything, right?"

Sango grinned and patted the black backpack between her legs. "Of course."

"Well ladies," Kagome began as they reached another stone wall -this time she leaned her head out and muttered something for voice recognition- "We are home." The wall slid away and a blinding flash of pale light flooded the tunnel.

The car moved forward into an expansive underground garage that held 20 or more cars, motorcycles and jeeps of different makes and models.

"Finally!" Rin cried, already pushing the door open before Kagome finished pulling into a spot. "I need a shower; I swear I can still smell that guy's sweat."

At the end of the garage was an elevator door and a key wall where Kagome hung her keys on the empty hook underneath the parking spot number.

Sango pressed her hand to the wall next to the elevator and with a ping the doors slid open.

There were only two buttons on the panel in the elevator, B2 and 24. Sango pressed the red 24 and the door closed with a mighty metallic screech, then they began to ascend, accompanied by the groans of the elevator.

The air within the elevator was oppressive; occasionally there would be a distinct sizzle or popping sound followed by a flash of blue sparks.

When Rin came to work with Sango and Kagome, her first ride in the old elevator had been a panicked one filled with failed attempts to hide her discomfort.

" _This is old miko blood magic, cast by a very strong priestess."_ she remembered Kagome saying after the first hiss caused her to yelp. _"It won't hurt you because you were given access when I added your blood to the seal...but it does like to –shall we say- feel around to make sure everything is as it should be. It's meant to hide things, like this elevator and the garage and the entire 24_ _th_ _floor, but it also repels anyone who isn't supposed to be here. Think of it as our first line of defense should anything happen."_

All these years later and it was still a bit disconcerting every time there was a hiss of blue.

The doors clanged open and the women stepped out into the darkened living room of a large penthouse apartment. Full length windows lined the farthest wall, casting a dim light that made visible the white furniture and plush dark carpeting. A TV hung on the wall in front of a white sectional, and off to the right was an open kitchen with an island table and 3 seats in the center. There was a hallway to the left of the windows, leading to the bedrooms, bathroom and training room.

Rin kicked off her shoes and bolted towards the hallway, throwing a comment about taking the first shower over her shoulder.

"Hey! Can you wash these then?" Kagome cried, pulling out the two tantōs from her purse, their ends still retaining traces of red.

"Oh sorry, can't hear you!" Rin called behind her with a smile before shutting the bathroom door.

"Brat." Kagome murmured and began heading towards her room only to be pulled back to the small mat in front of the elevator by Sango.

"Nope," the older woman shot her a glare, "you are not walking all over that newly cleaned carpet with those dirty shoes."

Kagome groaned and kicked off her shoes. "Happy, mother?"

"Very. Will you call Kaede? I'm going to make dinner." Sango hit the light switch on her way to the kitchen. "How does saba shioyaki, genmai and sunomono sound?"

"Amazing." Kagome replied before turning down the hall and entering the room opposite the bathroom. She dropped her purse on the floor and shrugged off her blazer, tossing it onto the green comforter on her bed. She plucked the cordless phone from its cradle on her table, her fingers automatically tapping the numbers as she continued to undress.

It rang once. "Bureau of Demon Human Cooperation and Law Enforcement, Kaede's office. How may I help you?"

"Hey Shiori, it's Kagome, can you put me through to Kaede?"

"Sure thing Kagome, hold on a sec." Kagome sat in front of her vanity, pulled her hair into a ponytail and removed the blue contacts from her eyes, revealing her natural brown.

She drummed her fingers lazily as time continued to tick by with no sign of Kaede on the other line. With a devious grin, she pulled her tantōs from her purse and slipped out of her room. She silently cracked open the bathroom door and crept in.

"Kagome!" Rin's wet head poked out from behind the shower curtain. "What are you-" Kagome dropped the blades on the ground in front of the shower "Seriously!?"

"Thanks Rin!" Kagome called back with a laugh as she quickly exited the room.

"Well," A time worn voice cut in from the phone she still held against her ear. "If you and Rin quite done, Kagome…." A beet red blush spread across the girl's face and she bowed her head in embarrassment. She knew the old woman could not see her, but she couldn't help the compulsory bow- being scolded by Kaede was like being scolded by your favorite grandmother, a sentiment she knew was echoed by most Bureau members.

"Gomen nasai, Kaede-sama." She bounced on the balls of her feet. "I didn't know you were on the line." The old woman chuckled lightly.

"It's quite alright child," She began; her tone light with a smile. "I may be old, but I haven't forgotten youth completely." Kagome let out a small laugh.

"Now then," Kaede's voice turned serious, "I supposed this call means that you three have accomplished your objective."

"Hai, we just returned, both Rin and I will be sending the data to Intel shortly. I have a flash drive Old Tsumi was keen on hiding and Sango has copies of the security feed. We'll have everything ready for tomorrow."

"Very good child."

"Arigato, Kaede-sama."

"I do have one more thing to discuss with ye, Kagome," Kaede paused for a moment, Kagome could hear the shuffle of some papers before the woman let out a heavy sigh. "You and Sango have been partners for over thirty years now, and Rin has been with you two for nearly a decade," Kagome caught herself mid-nod and "hm"ed her agreement.

"As you know we do not recruit into the Bureau, aside from _very_ rare circumstances, we mainly rely on children following in their parents' footsteps and becoming agents. Because of the extended life spans of our human and demon members as well as the secretive nature of the work, relationships with civilians are not only prohibited, but impossible. "

"Hai Kaede-sama, is there a problem?" Kagome furrowed her brow, a feeling of unease settled in her stomach. Kaede was always straight to the point with her words, she had never been one to beat around the bush like this. How one became an agent was common knowledge, you were either born into it, or, like with herself and Rin, there were tragic circumstances.

Kaede let out another weary sigh. "Kagome, what I'm saying is this," She paused for a moment, her voice cracking as she searched for the right words, "We will be separating Sango, Rin and yourself, to give you each a male partner."

The words hit her as hard as any physical blow she'd ever experienced. She was sure the floor had been ripped from beneath her and for a moment all she could hear was whooshing in her ears. But that feeling quickly gave way to a wave of red hot, blinding fury.

"But-but Kaede! We're the best team you have working!" All sense of propriety flew out the window as she began on her tirade. "You can't split us up just because you want us to-to reproduce! We're practically family!" Her hand dropped to the nearby vanity loudly. "Those two are like my sisters!"

"Kagome, child, ye must calm down." Kaede began in a pacifying tone. "I know how close ye three are. I beg ye not to worry, this does not mean that ye will no longer see each other. There will still be cases that will require ye three alone.

"But, ye all need to start finding demon mates or human partners. While we have extended your human lives, it does not mean ye are immortal, and this is dangerous work. We are not forcing ye to -as ye say- procreate with these men Kagome, but ye must understand, the Bureau depends on its agents for more than just law enforcement. As I said, it is not an option to find suitable mates in the outside world."

Kagome gritted her teeth, she knew Kaede was right. She was a phantom in the real world. Her name would not be found in any government record, neither would those of Sango or Rin, or anyone who worked in the Bureau. They were ghosts, having a relationship with a civilian was just not done.

More to the point, this sort of partnering was not unusual, they had been told of it at The Academy. She had always known that it was only a matter of time before each member was paired with someone of the opposite sex in hopes a match would be made. She had just hoped she had at least another century before her time rolled around.

"We are also aware that we are breaking up one of our strongest teams," Kaede's voice cut into her thoughts. "However, we believe the men we have picked for ye three are your equals," Kaede chuckled lowlt. "In fact, they may even be more skilled."

The girl's eyebrow twitched, she wondered if Kaede was aware of how smoothly she had just added insult to injury.

"They just arrived back from an extended covert mission in London; they've been there for nearly 8 years now." If possible Kagome felt her stomach drop further.

It couldn't be.

She swallowed thickly and managed to choke out, "Who?"

"Ye and Sango should be very familiar with them. Miroku Kazanna and the Taisho brothers –Sesshomaru and Inuyasha."

In the kitchen, Sango nearly dropped the plate she held in her hand when a loud shout rang out from Kagome's room.

"FUCK!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Never a Simple Case**

"I still can't believe baba's actually making us go through with this." Kagome huffed over the loud tap-tap of her shoe on the glass floor of the elevator.

Rin rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Really? I never would have guessed- you know, judging from the hissy fit you threw last night and the full-blown tantrum this morning. And," the younger girl's lips curled up. "Her name is Kaede-sama, not baba. Have some respect."

Kagome sent her a stony glare. "Very cute, Rin."

"I'd like to believe I am."

"Kami, can't this thing go faster?" Sango groaned loudly. "Being stuck in here with your bickering is giving me a migraine."

The tension that had settled between the three of them after last night's announcement had yet to dissipate- especially between Kagome and Rin, whose usual light hearted bickering had devolved into bitter arguments. After a half-eaten dinner, they each retired to separate ends of their apartment to spend the night attempting to come to terms with the information in their own way.

Sango had holed herself away in their training room, working her muscles to exhaustion, while Rin opted to scrub the entire apartment top to bottom. Kagome had locked herself in her room and spent a sleepless night glaring at the wall.

The journey to the Bureau was the longest time they'd spent in each other's presence since dinner. But, the lengthy trip coupled with the oppressive weight of the magic masking the Bureau's headquarters, strained what little peace had settled over them.

Luckily, there was no audience to witness their squabbling.

It was extremely rare for agents to come to their headquarters, so they were unsurprisingly alone in the elevator as they hurtled down to the massive 78 level structure hidden deep beneath Ueno.

The elevator -accessible through the back-alley entrance of a long-abandoned building- was one of only 4 entrances to the Bureau.

Agents who mainly worked within headquarters -Intelligence, Tech, R&D and such- had apartments on the lower levels of the complex and rarely left the Bureau.

There was a great metallic groan from the elevator followed by a shower of blue sparks of magic overhead, then streams of bright yellow light shone through the glass walls. The push of the concealing magic around them dissipated; they had finally entered the upper most floors of the underground headquarters.

Through the clear doors, they could see other members of The Bureau – demons, humans, half-bloods and more- milling about as they sped down to the 24th level. More than a few turned from their work to look at the returning agents.

"Well," Kagome broke the silence, "I'm in no rush to get down there. The paperwork part of this job has never been my favorite. And then, of course, there's the new partners." She practically spat out the last word and crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

"I don't really see what the big deal is," Rin shrugged off the looks sent her way. "Kaede said that this is a trial, she won't leave us with these guys if she nothing is going to happen. And she did say that we will still be working together on some cases, it's not like it's a goodbye forever." She directed a pointed look at Kagome.

"From what the two of you have said, Sango, you've worked with Miroku in the past, so most likely it will be you two," Sango's cheek twitched. "And wasn't Inuyasha your first training partner out of The Academy?" She turned to Kagome whose face took on an even more sour look. "So, I get the infamous Sesshomaru Taisho, and we all know nothing will happen there." Rin nodded to herself. "Give it 6 months or so, and I'll bet anything we'll be back together."

Sango scoffed, "You may think that, but I've learned never to underestimate Kaede's resolve."

The elevator jerked to a stop and the doors opened to a large, open room with a cream carpet and a small waiting area outfitted in dark red wood furniture. Tempered glass doors were scattered down the hallway to the left of the waiting area where employees could be seen hunched over computers on the other side.

Against the wall in front of the elevator was a large white desk, where a young woman with shocking silver hair sat. Her lavender eyes darted from side to side as she scanned the screen in front of her and pressed the phone to her ear. Above her were large polished silver letters that read "The Bureau."

"Shiori!" Rin bounded out of the elevator towards the girl. Shiori glanced at her and sent a quick smile but held up a hand to signal her to wait.

"Thank you, Mr. Tanaka. I'll be sure Kaede gets the message." She heaved a sigh before turning to the new arrivals. "Hey Rin, it's been forever. How's field work going?" She turned her smile to Sango and Kagome as they approached her desk.

"Same as ever." Kagome shrugged. "You would find out if you ever got out from behind that desk and joined us one day."

Shiori scoffed. "You know my father would never allow it."

"Speaking of Tsukuyomaru" Rin smiled a little too broadly, "he wouldn't happen to be around, would he?"

Shiori laughed and shook her head. She was more than used to the constant female interest her father received. At 6' 2'' with long silver hair, purple eyes and tanned skin, Tsukuyomaru had most of the women at the Bureau chasing after him. Unfortunately, all of their advances ended in rejection, he had never gotten over the passing of Shiori's mother.

She died over 450 years ago, long before the Bureau had been fully established as the massive international covert agency it was now, and before it had instituted the policy of transfusing all human members with demon blood, allowing them an extended life span as well as a few other perks.

While few human members of the Bureau looked over 35, most were well into their hundreds. Kagome and Sango- who both looked to be in their mid to late twenties- were 72 and 168 respectively. While Rin -who's features would indicate early twenties- had been brought to the Bureau 30 years prior and was 35.

"He's probably down in The Archives right now, sorry. Oh, and Kaede-sama said to- Kagome? Kagome, what's wrong?"

Shiori's brow creased in a frown, Sango and Rin spun around in time to see the other woman wobble precariously before stumbling to the nearest wall to steady herself.

Kagome's face was twisted in pain and her eyes were squeezed shut. One hand was clenched into a white knuckled fist at her side while the other was tightly gripping the side of her neck.

"Kami!" Sango grabbed her elbow and led her to a chair in the waiting area, Rin and Shiori on her heels. Sango pulled Kagome's hand from her neck and pushed back her hair revealing the two small scars that had resided there for years.

Rin sucked in a hissing breath at the sight of the marks -they were an angry red that had spread to the skin around them. For as long as she had known Kagome the twin scars had been present -more often than not hidden by her hair- but never had she seen them cause her friend any pain.

Moments passed as the three women worried over their ailing friend before Kagome suddenly sucked in a strangled breath and opened her eyes, the pained look beginning to dissipate.

"You okay?" Shiori asked, Kagome nodded distractedly. Sango sent her a disbelieving look, shook her head and stood.

"What the hell was that Kagome?" Rin began, holding out a steadying hand as Kagome got to her feet.

"I-I don't know… but I feel fine now." She shrugged and sent Rin a weak smile, pointedly ignoring the frown etched into Sango's features.

"Kaede wanted me to tell you guys to go see her as soon as you got here," Shiori said, heading back to her desk. "But I really think you should head to the medical floor, let them have a quick look at you."

Kagome shook her head. "I'm okay, really. Thanks though." Shiori frowned, clearly unconvinced, but she still pointed them towards the meeting room. The girls nodded their thanks before heading down the hall to one of the few rooms without a glass door.

"Kagome, I'm sure Kaede would understand if you checked in to medical instead of going to the meeting."

"Rin I'm telling you," Kagome sighed and pushed open the redwood door at the end of the hall "I'm fi-" The words died in her throat as her eyes scanned the room and its occupants. Her features instantly darkening.

Rin poked her head around Kagome and scanned the room. Kaede was nowhere to be seen, instead three men sat around the large mahogany table at the rooms center.

The man closest to the entrance was obviously human; his short black hair was tied in a small ponytail and his violet eyes sparkled mischievously as he turned to the doorway. A demon with magenta markings and hair so silver it was almost white sat further down the table- his impassive golden eyes flicked towards them for a moment before dropping back to the papers before him. Finally, lounging in the corner, she spotted a dog-eared half demon- the lucky beneficiary of the evil glare on Kagome's face. Like the demon, he also had silver hair and golden eyes; however, his hair was decidedly less tame, and his eyes glinted with unrestrained emotion.

Rin could practically feel the air become thick as his eyes locked with Kagome's, mirroring the contempt in hers.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" The dark-haired human let out an exaggerated gasp and crossed the room in two large strides- in an instant his hands were closed tightly around a wide eyed Sango's. "After so many years, the fates have finally seen fit to reunite me with my lovely Sango!" He pulled Sango into a hug, ignoring the look of anguish on her face and her attempts to pull away from him.

"If you do not let go of me in the next ten seconds, I swear I will dismember you in the most painful way, Miroku." Sango's threat, muffled by Miroku's purple shirt, fell on deaf ears as the man only continued to stroke her hair oblivious to vein throbbing over her eye.

"These years without your smiling face have been torture," Miroku sighed and pulled her closer while his hand began its descent from her back. "It's so good to be back to you, Sango."

There was a resounding CRACK as Sango's hand met with Miroku's cheek.

"I even missed that too." He let out a weak laugh and gently touched the throbbing red hand print on his cheek with a smile.

"Well then," Rin broke the silence as she took a seat, from the corner of her eye she saw Miroku pull out a chair for Sango, only to have her send him a glare and pull out a different one for herself. "You three must be Miroku, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, pleasure to meet you." She stuck out her hand to each man only to have it be ignored by Sesshomaru, receive a grunt from Inuyasha, and kissed by Miroku. "A-Alright…. so…where's Kaede?"

Inuyasha grunted again. "Who knows. The old hag left us in here half an hour ago."

Kagome's eyes snapped towards him, "I know respect is difficult for you," she began, her tone icy, "but you should try and practice it; her name is Kaede, you ass." She seated herself furthest from Inuyasha and crossed her arms tightly.

The tense silence that followed her comment didn't last long.

"What did you call me?" Inuyasha growled. His ears pressed flat as he pushed himself out of his chair and made his way to her side of the room, looking for all the world like a dog stalking prey.

Kagome turned to him, undaunted by his frame towering over her. "I didn't realize you'd become deaf in your old age, Inuyasha. I called you an ass." She pushed herself up to face him, the fact that he was almost a full head taller than her did nothing to deter her glare.

The rooms other occupants sat still, completely forgotten by the warring pair and unsure of what to say to diffuse the heated situation. Even Sesshomaru put down his papers to observe the scene.

Inuyasha stepped closer, pointing a finger in her face. "Look bitch-"

"Don't you dare call me that." She hissed.

"I can call you whatever I want," he leaned his face towards hers, his lips tilting up in a patronizing smirk. "Bitch."

"You arrogant, pig-headed-"

"Enough!" All eyes turned to the doorway and the source of the gruff call. A hunched old woman with long grey hair slowly entered the room, an eye-patch covered her right eye but the left flashed with agitation. "Kagome, Inuyasha, sit."

Kagome scowled at the man before returning to her seat. Before long her hard frown softened and a sheepish look overtook her features as her eyes scanned the other faces in the room.

Inuyasha huffed and made his way back to his corner seat, pouting like a child whose candy was just taken away.

Kaede walked to the especially large, comfortable chair at the head of the table and took her time getting settled before looking at the agents. "Before the meeting begins, I would like to discuss the partner reassignment. Ye all are fairly bright so I am sure ye have figured out who ye will be partnered with.

"Sango and Miroku ye two will be working together," The demon slayer groaned softly and sent a glare to the smirking monk who winked in return. "Sesshomaru, ye are with Rin, she has not been out of The Academy long, I expect ye -as one of the most senior members of the Bureau- to train her well." The young girl looked over to the demon, however his eyes remained fixed on Kaede.

"And lastly," Kaede held her breath for a moment, "Kagome-chan, ye are to work with Inuyasha once more." Immediately Kagome was out of her seat, her hands slamming loudly on the table.

"I still refuse to accept this, Kaede! You can't put me to work with that-that-that DOG!" Kaede raised her eye in silent prayer as Inuyasha also stood up and rounded on the girl.

"Don't think you're the only one suffering here princess," He snarled, "You ain't exactly my dream partner either!"

Kaede cut in cooly before Kagome could retaliate. "My word is final." They both turned furious eyes to her. "Ye have worked well together before; this is no different."

"This is very different!" Kagome roared. "You expect me to procreate with this PIG!"

"Kagome," Kaede let out a withering sigh, "I don't expect ye to do anything, this is but a trial. And ye know as well as anyone here that there comes a time when all agents are partnered with a member of the opposite sex in hopes of carrying on our work. This is only temporary, so please be patient and let the past remain in the past." Kagome flinched and dropped her eyes to her clenched fists. She seemed to deflate as she fell back to her seat and Inuyasha –grudgingly- did the same.

"Now that that's over, we can finally begin."

It wasn't long before the doors opened again and four demons and two humans walked in.

"Well, well," A male wolf demon with ponytailed black hair said, his ice blue eyes trained on Inuyasha, "If it isn't the mutt. I had hoped you died."

Inuyasha growled, "Not before I kill you, wolf."

The wolf snorted, "I'd like to see you try, dog."

"Well this is interesting banter," A red haired female wolf demon drawled, pulling out a seat for herself between the two. "Can't you two be mature just once. I expected better from you, Kouga."

Kagome snorted, "You're far too optimistic, Ayame."

"Come now," Kaede began, bringing everyone's attention back to her. "Petty squabbling is not the reason for this meeting, please settle down." The room quieted down and everyone's attention turned to the Bureau's head.

"Lady Kaede, I mean no offense, but why are they here?" Sango asked, nodding to the new people in the room. "Our assignment has nothing to do with theirs."

"Ayame, Momiji, Boton, Kouga, Ginta, and Hakakku, have been working on cases involving some drug dealings within the demonic underground for months now. Through a fortuitous coincidence, Ayame, Momiji and Boton have been able to get especially close to a key member of Onigumo Pharmaceuticals." The three women looked uncomfortable at Kaede's mention. "And Kouga, Ginta and Hakakku's undercover work with the emerging gangs seems to have dug up some information pertaining to your case."

"As ye all are aware Miroku, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, have been following the more overt movements of Onigumo Pharmaceuticals overseas, while you girls have been looking in to the murders, disappearances and dealings of their main associates here in Japan."

"So, what has changed?" Sango looked to the three men.

"The target has relocated. He's back in Japan." Sesshomaru replied.

"He can't be," Rin frowned, "We've been working this for almost 5 years, our ears are always to the ground on his movements, there has not been a whisper about him coming back."

"His network has always been very tightlipped, Rin." Kagome interjected. "Even after 5 years, we still have no hard evidence tying Onigumo to the mutilations. After the first witness against him retracted their statement, then disappeared, we haven't been able to get anything." She turned a hard look at the men, "Where did you get the information about his move? Are you sure he didn't leak it because he wanted you three out of London?"

"I assure you our information comes from a most reliable source," Miroku winked at her, "She happens to be his personal secretary. An old friend -if you will- of Sesshomaru's."

"For a monk, Miroku, you sure have a way of making everything sound dirty." Inuyasha grumbled. "What information do you lot have, wolf? Your group hasn't been much use so far."

Kouga growled "Well mutt, there's been a lot of talk within the underground lately. Someone has hired some pretty ruthless assassins. The word is that their orders fit the same pattern as the previous murders. Only now, they're looking for more than just low level demons. It's said they've been hired to go after humans."

"Priests, monks, basically anyone with spiritual power he can get his hands on." Boton, the blue haired priestess continued, while Momiji pulled out some pictures from a folder. "This is them." She placed the photos on the table.

"That man!" Sango pointed to the blurred image of a man with a long braid. "He's the one in the security tapes I lifted from the offices yesterday."

"They go by "The Band of Seven," not very original with the names, but they're probably the deadliest humans in this hemisphere." Ayame said. "And expensive too. Not just anyone can afford to keep these guys on the payroll."

"Keh, they're still human's though. All that information has done is raised more questions."

"My little brother is correct; the killing patterns have been erratic. We have the retracted statement linking him with the murder of a shrine keeper 6 years ago, almost immediately afterwards the demon mutilations began, however none of the victims are linked by species, gender or clan. And now he has assassins going after humans with spiritual powers..."

"And the dealings with the crooked business men that we took care of yesterday," Kagome added.

"We know it's has to be him," Rin continued, "every case has been all but identical to the shrine keepers murder, but nothing sticks because he's stayed abroad all this time working on his companies."

"But now he's back, all of his closest staff have made the journey with him, that must mean there's something he needs to do here." Miroku added.

"Nevertheless," Kaede let out a long breath, "Onigumo Pharmaceuticals is still profiting and their contracts expanding, even with the allegations surrounding Onigumo. He has a history of worming his way into foreign governments and somehow has been exerting an impressive level of control on those higher up. It would be wise to assume his plans for Japan are the same. And if those ends are met, we must be prepared to act independently, lest he infiltrate the Bureau."

"This is getting out of hand; I thought it was just a few murders!" Ayame groaned as she dropped her head to her palm.

"With this much preparation, who knows what the end game could be." Sango mumbled, her brows furrowed as she looked over the photos on the table.

Kaede sighed. "Whatever his plans, we must all be prepared. There is a weight in the air; something is coming, and we would be fools not to be ready." She sent pointed looks to all of the agents. "Intel will be going through what has been collected so far, for now we have no option but to wait, hopefully they will turn up something. Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Rin and Sesshomaru, you have 24 hours to pack your belongings. Shiori will give you the addresses of your new apartments on your way out. Make sure all requisition forms are filled out and filed by weeks' end." Kaede ignored the heated looks sent her way.

"We will be giving you basic clean up missions while you learn to work with your new partner. And you six," She turned to the remaining agents, "Thank you and you will be kept up to date on this case, please send anything our way that you may find pertaining to this. However, that does not mean you can slack on your own workload." They all nodded. "Now then, if that is all," The old woman rose from her seat with a slight groan.

"Oh wait!" Ginta exclaimed for the first time, halting everyone's rustling movements to the door. The wolf demon was even twitchier than normal, "Hakkaku and I -last night we- well there was this strange conversation we overheard last night. The guy was drunk, you know, and we didn't have the time to look into it- so who knows how true- but it was about Onigumo and-"

"Jeez! Just spit it out already!" Inuyasha snapped.

"There's a new dealer peddling some pretty intense stuff in the underground, they were saying he has ties to Onigumo and the company." Hakkaku took over for Ginta. "We haven't had the time to check it out completely, but it sounds as though this guy is the one handling the dirty work for the company."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Did you get a name?"

"Well…. you see- that's where it gets a bit strange…his name- well, it's Kakura Naraku."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Naraku**

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"So then, Kaede tells Kagome that we're supposed to be reassigned male partners during today's meeting…." Rin heaved a sigh and dropped her chin to her upturned palm. "So, now I have to go home after this and pack up everything just to move in with some guy I don't even know!"

The young man across from her offered a small sympathetic smile before his auburn head turned back to the large weapon laid out on the table in front of him. "Standard procedure for field agents Rinny, don't know what to tell you. So, who's the lucky guy?" The boy looked up and wiggled his eyebrows, humor flashing in his bright blue eyes.

"You're incorrigible, Shippo. But, "lucky guy" isn't exactly what I'd call him." Rin grumbled, "It's Sesshomaru Taisho."

The screwdriver in Shippo's hand clattered to the table as a noise somewhere between a cough and a choke escaped him. "Oh, man!" He let out a low whistle. "What did you do to piss off Kaede?"

Rin groaned loudly, "My thoughts exactly. We just had a meeting together for over an hour and he didn't even look my way once! The guy practically radiates ice."

"Hey, that's your future husband you're insulting, Rinny." He barely had time to dodge the wrench she sent flying his way. "Not my tools, Rin!"

She shot him a harsh glare before dropping the mallet she'd picked up with a huff. "Unfortunately, even picking on you won't make me feel better today."

"Well, lucky me." He grabbed a roll pin from the lineup of tools on his desk and went back to work. "So, does that mean that Sango and Kagome are going to be with Miroku and Inuyasha?"

Rin rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I don't know how that's supposed to work. Not even five minutes into seeing each other Sango's fist was in Miroku's face."

Shippo chuckled, "That's pretty much the general female reaction to Miroku."

"And, the way they behaved, I wouldn't trust Kagome and Inuyasha in the same building, let alone the same apartment." She sent a sidelong glance Shippo's way expecting some sort of reaction to the statement; much to her chagrin, he didn't so much as quirk an eyebrow.

Shippo was almost two hundred years old and during that time he had not only built a reputation as an expert weapon-smith but also as the Bureau's resident gossip mongerer.

After getting nowhere prodding Sango for information, Rin knew that -given a slight nudge- Shippo would be her best bet to shed some light on whatever had gone on between Kagome and Inuyasha.

She had come to his lab sure that all she had to do was dangle the smallest bit of bait and the Kitsune would be singing like a canary. After a few failed attempts however, it seemed she'd found the one topic the Kit wouldn't open his trap about.

She furrowed her brow and attempted to approach it from another angle. "They were basically at each other's throats for the whole meeting. They only stopped when Hakkaku mentioned some demon named Naraku-"

The mallet in Shippo's hand fell to the floor with a heavy thud, successfully cutting off the remainder of Rin's statement. "Na-Naraku?" He turned wide blue eyes to Rin. "He-he said Naraku?"

Rin nodded slowly, her head tilting in confusion as the panicked look she had seen on the other agents' faces over took Shippo's. "Yes, Hakkaku said they got information that some demon named Naraku has been trolling the underground." She leveled a hard stare at the fox. "What am I missing Shippo?"

The Kitsune's eye's darted from hers and settled on the dropped mallet, he made a show of busying himself picking it up and rearranging the other tools on his table, all the while avoiding her gaze. "I don't know what you mean."

Rin rolled her eyes and placed her hand over the tool tray Shippo was reaching for, "Kaede looked like she'd seen a ghost when she heard his name, in fact, everyone did. And you don't look any different. I know there is something serious going on here and for some reason, no one will tell me what it is." Her eyes narrowed at the fox demon. "I understand that there's a lot of history I missed being as young as I am but I am working in this agency too and risking my life just as much as anyone else. I thing I've earned the right to know the details." Her brown eyes dared him to deny her.

Shippo held her gaze for a moment before he heaved a mighty sigh and rolled his eyes. "Look, Rin. I don't even know all the details myself. Naraku is- Naraku _was_ a demon…a very powerful demon who took pleasure in destroying the lives of as many demons and humans as he could." Shippo frowned to himself, "from what I've heard, Naraku popped up on the Bureau's radar almost 300 years ago, around the time Lady Kaede joined. _He_ was the demon that killed her sister."

Rin audibly gasped, but Shippo ignored the sound and continued with his story. "From then on, it was like he made a point of weaving himself into the history of the Bureau. News would surface about him every few decades, but the guy was like smoke. Try as he might, Lord Taisho, the founder of the Bureau himself, could not track down the demon. Then, about 150 years ago, Sango and her brother Kohaku came here." Shippo shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I was just a kid at the time, but my parents happened to be visiting Headquarters with me that day. I…I remember seeing them as we passed one of the medical rooms. They were…. They were just _so_ hurt-just-just torn apart…. everything…. _everything_ was just red…."

He cleared his throat and looked away, "Sango was about 17 then. The slayers had been allies of Lord Taisho's almost since the start, so when her clan was decimated she had nowhere to go but here. She doesn't talk about it, and I don't think anyone has ever gotten the full story out of her… but the Slayers' village isn't exactly around the corner. She carried Kohaku from Toyama -almost a four-day journey for a healthy person…. The story goes when she made it here, the only word she said was "Naraku" before passing out."

A sniffling drew Shippo from his story, he turned to Rin, who was hastily wiping away the tracks of moisture from her cheeks.

"I-I never- she never told me." She whispered, "her whole family…?"

The kit shook his head. "Gone. It was a miracle Sango and Kohaku survived; the wounds were deep and Sango was in such bad shape that _Lady Izayoi_ was called in to heal her.

"Lord Taisho was furious when he heard about it, of course. The slayers had worked alongside him for hundreds of years, even though they never accepted his invitation to actually join The Bureau. In truth, without their help, I don't think Lord Taisho would've gotten as far as he did with all of this- they were the ones to actually recruit a lot of the original priests and priestesses who formed the base for the agency. But, they were always really big on the traditions of their tribe and refused to relocate to our headquarters, instead they stayed in the mountains, like their ancestors did before them -far out of The Bureau's protective reach. After the…the attack, Lord Taisho took in Sango and Kohaku and enrolled them in The Academy. He and Sesshomaru even personally trained Sango. After that, he practically raised the two of them as his own, and, of course, increased efforts to hunt down Naraku..

"We were getting news from all over about him, but it wasn't until 35 years ago- just before you were brought to The Bureau- that Lord Taisho finally tracked him down. He organized an operation to go in and take him out- I was part of the recon team on the house."

"We were there for days before the raid. We checked everything, monitored _everything._ It was only supposed to be Naraku and two others in the house at the time of the attack." The corners of his lips turned down. "Lord Taisho sent 30 of his best agents, including Sango, Miroku, Kohaku, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha and Kagome- they were partners back then. But everything went sour from the very beginning.

"My team had orders to remain outside, not to enter under any circumstances -we weren't field agents, after all, just a bunch of R&D nerds who were supposed to keep watch." Rin's large eyes narrowed at the foreboding in his tone. She knew retelling this story was hard for him -and in all honesty it was hard for her to hear- but it was information she needed. She had to know what had happened between her friends and this demon so long ago. Tentatively, she stretched out a hand and placed it on Shippo's quivering shoulder while her eyes urged him to continue his tale.

"We heard them scream. All we could do was sit there and listen to them scream..." Shippo's voice was barely a whisper.

"It wasn't even two hours before there was an explosion, the whole place just went up in flames. Only 11 agents made it out alive. Kohaku- Kohaku wasn't one of them.

"I will never forget the look on Sango's face…. the way she just-just crumbled. I don't know what it must have been like for her, losing the only part of her family that was left.

"But, we'd won. We were sure that Naraku had died in the fire, we found his body, and all of those agents who gave their lives could at least rest in peace. At least, we thought they could. Now, you're saying Naraku is back?" His eyes hardened with a determination Rin had never known the carefree demon to have.

"I-We don't know." She stuttered out. "Kaede assured us all leads would be checked, she said it was more than likely that some low-level thug had just taken on the name to scare up some business." Shippo "hmm"ed and looked away.

"I didn't know any of this…. No wonder no one wanted to talk about it. I can't imagine what they must be thinking, going through that only to have it come back after all these years." Rin worried her lip between her teeth. "Poor Sango."

"It affected them all." Shippo began, "Sara Asano was a miko who agreed to the mission only because of her dedication to Sesshomaru. When she was killed, he took it as his personal failure to protect someone in his charge." Rin frowned, it was hard to imagine the demon she had just met feeling anything other than indifference.

"And that battle marked the end of Kagome and Inuyasha's partnership." Shippo continued, "No one knows the details but, after she had recovered from her injuries, Kagome immediately filed for a transfer and Lady Kaede put her with Sango. It was weird because she and Inuyasha had been together for almost eight years. Honestly, I thought they would be mated and that'd be the end of it." Shippo chuckled to himself. "Funny huh? Now that you see the way they treat each other."

Whatever Rin was going to say was cut off by the entrance of a bent old demon hobbling into the lab, leaning heavily on a cane that bore a striking resemblance to an oversized mallet. The top of his head was completely bald, and whatever remained on the sides and back were pulled into a wispy grey ponytail. His pointed features folded into a scowl as his large round eyes looked over Shippo and Rin. "Shippo!" His graveled voice was sharp.

Shippo groaned. "What is it, gramps?"

If possible the old demon's eyes widened further. "The nerve of you children!" He stomped his foot and waved his cane at the Kitsune. "I am your boss and head of this department! Learn some respect!"

Shippo rolled his eyes and easily ducked the cane that went swinging his way. "Alright, _Lord_ Totosai, what do you want?"

"Where's the new concealment charm you were supposed to finish? It should've been ready this morning, instead you're here playing with this girl!"

Rin ignored the comment -as well as the gnarled finger pointed in her direction- and took that as her cue to leave the two to their bickering. She was used to the strange relationship between Totosai and Shippo- although to be fair any relationship with Totosai was a strange one. He was a willy old coot, as brilliant as he was deranged.

She pushed herself from her chair and made to exit the room, tossing a quick goodbye to Shippo as she left. She barely made it to the elevator before the heavy footfalls of the Kitsune stopped her.

"Rin! Wait!" His tail flicked behind him as he came to stand beside her. "About this whole Naraku business, maybe it would be better if you didn't mention it to anyone outside of your team."

Rin tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brow. "Why? What's up?"

"Most of the Bureau knows Naraku in some way. I'm sure your teammates will tell you all about him, I doubt they intended to hide this from you, so don't take their silence personally. They probably just need some time to wrap their heads around this new information. The news of his defeat brought a lot of us joy and a sense of closure." His blue eyes locked with hers and again that so un-Shippo like seriousness was there. "Until all the details of this have come forward, until Kaede knows for sure without any doubt that it is Naraku, you _cannot_ tell anyone else that he may be alive."

"Don't worry Shippo," Rin took his hand in hers, "you have my word; I won't tell. Now," She smiled to him before turning on her heel, "I've got to get back home and start packing. I've got a date with an Ice Prince tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Same Old**

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Sango let her head loll back onto the rim of the tub and stared at the bathroom ceiling.

It was strange staring up at the plain white wall- so different from the one she had looked at for nearly a decade in her old apartment.

The corners of her lips tilted upwards as she thought of the sparkling swirls that -during a spectacular stretch of boredom- Rin had lassoed her and Kagome into painting on the ceilings throughout the apartment.

The young girl fancied herself an artist but, though the vision was there, she was decidedly lacking in actual talent. In the end, it all just looked like a mess of shimmering, haphazardly placed blobs; and while they all acknowledged the massive failure of the venture, it remained a cherished memory of the camaraderie they shared.

She was pulled from the memory by a soft click and the shuffling of feet beyond the bathroom door.

She sighed.

Miroku had arrived.

Her lips thinned into a hard line and some indiscernible feeling bubbled up within her. Fear, perhaps? Anticipation?

It had been years since she'd worked with the monk, and while they'd never had any major issues beyond his less than holy intentions, she knew that time had a way of changing people.

Was this man the same one she had fought side by side with years ago?

Was she the same woman?

She let out a weary breath and shook her head. Her questions would be answered soon enough.

She slid down into the tub until her head was submerged and allowed the low lapping of the water to clear her mind for a moment before emerging.

Her thoughts strayed to her companions, surely they would also be settled into their new homes by now as well.

Their awkward goodbyes earlier in the day dissolved into a teary-eyed session of reminiscence after Rin presented two large bouquets of multicolored origami flowers to the women she had come to call family. Now, the poor, sweet girl was trapped with Sesshomaru of all people.

Sango snorted; Kaede did have a very sick sense of humor.

Sesshomaru was -at the best of times- cold and detached. Sango honestly wasn't sure if he was ignorant of normal social conventions or if he just found such pleasantries beneath him.

After the attack on her village, she and her brother had been taken in by Toga Taisho, one of her father's greatest friends and allies. Because of this she had lived most of her life in close contact with both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, and while Inuyasha had been welcoming -in his own uncouth and foul-mouthed way-Sesshomaru had barely acknowledged her existence. At least, he didn't until Toga forced the cold demon to spar with her during a training session.

It had ended in a stunning defeat -the adept demon having put her flat on her back in under 5 minutes- but the proof that even as a teenager she could hold her own for any length of time seemed to have garnered some form of respect from him.

While she could never say that the fight had necessarily endeared her to him, he did begin to give her brief nods when they would cross paths, and he made it a point to spar with her whenever a mission allowed him a reprieve to visit his familial home.

In fact, a good amount of her skills were learned from watching the graceful demon and being on the receiving end of his sword.

If Kaede's intentions truly were just to sharpen Rin's skill, there was no better teacher than Sesshomaru.

Still, the thought of Sesshomaru dealing with Rin brought a grin to her lips. What she wouldn't pay to be a fly on their wall today.

Rin was just…. well, Rin.

The girl had once gotten lost during a mission in the woods because she fell behind while hunting a butterfly.

She was skilled, but, despite her age, she held fast to her child-like optimism and delighted in nearly everything around her.

A job like theirs easily hardened agents to the world, it was a practical slap in the face of optimistic beliefs. But for Rin, it seemed like the constant onslaught of misdeeds, corruption and death, only caused her to love and appreciate simple things even more. A trait that had always been infectious to everyone she encountered.

Sango's grin broadened as she continued to think about the match. Perhaps, Kaede had more up her sleeve for the pair than she let on.

Then of course there was Kagome and Inuyasha. Sango couldn't fathom what the thought process had been when putting those two back together.

She had been there after the raid on Naraku's compound. She had seen Miroku carry the wounded and unconscious young miko out of the fiery building.

The briefings before their attack on the compound had been Sango's first interactions with Kagome. The girl was always so cheerful and kind, effortlessly befriending every agent in the meeting room, quickly joking and smiling with everyone as she had known them for a lifetime.

And then there was the way she interacted with Inuyasha. Even from afar, it was obvious that they were committed to one another. The gruff, anti-social hanyou that Sango had known for years melted away as soon as Kagome entered a room, replaced with a blushing, bumbling, thoroughly love-sick puppy. After those meetings, Sango had found herself thankful to the kind young woman for entering Inuyasha's life.

And then the raid came, and everything changed.

Days later, when she had regained consciousness, Kagome had barreled into Kaede's office and- completely undeterred by her weakened state-demanded she no longer be partnered with Inuyasha.

In fact, she had been so determined that it was minutes into her tirade before she realized that Sango had actually been in the room for her own private meeting with Kaede.

The younger girl barely made it through her apology before she collapsed on the floor, her half-healed wounds having taken their toll.

Sango immediately requested that she be partnered with Kagome.

In the months that followed, they slipped into an easy -if initially distant- friendship. Sango had been battling with coming to terms with the loss of her brother, while Kagome was dealing with her issues with Inuyasha. There was an unspoken agreement to give the topics wide berth while they both dealt with the new realities they now faced.

Sango shook herself from her thoughts and huffed out a breath. She looked at her pruned hands with a slight scowl before getting out of the bath and emptying the tub.

She wrapped herself in her towel, then cracked open the bathroom door enough to peek out.

A little over forty years ago, she had been partnered with Miroku for five years on a mission in Australia, and before that, he -like her- had been another stray human taken in by Toga Taisho. Because of this, she had a good amount of experience dealing with his more lascivious tendencies, most common of which was a penchant for appearing from the ether whenever she was coming out of the bath; and on more than a few occasions, while she was still in the bath.

The darkened living room appeared clear, she couldn't see him in the open kitchen. She looked down the hall to her bedroom door, she had sprinted longer distances.

She cast one last glance around and made sure her towel was as secure as possible before making the short jog to her room.

She didn't release the breath she had been holding until the door was closed and locked behind her. Perhaps years of living with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had dulled the monk's perverted sixth sense.

Her new room was still mostly bare, holding only a half-filled dresser, still unmade bed and a few unopened boxes. She dressed quickly in shorts and a plain tee shirt before heading back to the kitchen; a meal would do her well before unpacking.

Halfway through the living room, a soft rustle drew her attention to one of the dark blue couches. Peeking around the back, her eyes locked with the red gaze of her pet nekomata demon. The cat mewled once and readjusted itself on the chest of a slumbering Miroku.

A small snore escaped the monk's parted lips and Sango smiled to herself. He looked exactly as he had when they parted ways thirty years ago, even down to the length of the black hair that hung just above his eyes.

Kirara curled into a ball and purred loudly as she made herself more comfortable on her old friend. "Guess you missed him too, huh girl?" Sango stroked her fur once before heading to the kitchen, smiling absently as she was overcome by a wave of nostalgia.

* * *

Kagome picked at the edges of the box she gripped to her chest, her eyes fixed on the wood paneling of the elevator door.

She'd spent an unnecessary number of hours driving around the boxes she needed to move from her old apartment. It wasn't until the sun started to dip below the horizon that she decided it was time to finally face the music.

The elevator pinged and the doors slid open. Much like at the apartment she shared with Sango and Rin, the elevator only stopped on this floor and the garage she would be sharing with Inuyasha.

Unlike the old apartment, this elevator opened to a short hallway instead of into the apartment itself. She counted that fact as a blessing as it gave her a few more undisturbed moments to drag her inexplicably heavy feet to the only door.

She wasn't sure how long she stood there glaring at the three inches of wood that separated her from _him._

Five minutes passed- ten maybe- before she finally lifted her hand to the knob.

Her fingers had barely brushed the cool metal before the door was pulled back with a creak.

"Were you planning on spending the whole night out here?"

Her scowl was automatic as she took in the man in the doorway. He hadn't changed at all since last she was alone with him.

His arms were crossed and he looked down at her with thinly veiled apprehension, but beyond that, he was the same man she once knew so well. His silvery hair still hung to his waist, his eyes were the same warm honey color and his face was still as boyishly handsome as she remembered.

"Well? Are ya coming in or not?" Despite the gruffness of his tone, the bite from the meeting room was absent.

Her eyes narrowed. "You're blocking the way."

Inuyasha's cheeks tinged pink and he let out a halfhearted "Keh." He stepped aside and opened the door wider for her and the box she gripped to her chest like a lifeline.

The apartment wasn't much different from the one she had shared with Sango and Rin. The colors were a more muted beige and forest green, but the layout was similar. There was an open kitchen off to the side of the living room, a hallway further back that she assumed led to the bedrooms, bathrooms and training room. Floor to ceiling windows overlooked the darkening city- there seemed to be a small balcony beyond one of the windows, which she made a note to investigate later.

"Your room is the second one on the left." Inuyasha's voice brought her eyes back to him, standing by the high-top table in the center of the kitchen. "But I-uh... I made something to eat."

His arms were still crossed and he scowled at her but his cheeks retained the pink hue from earlier. He looked nervous as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, the two silver ears atop his head flicked from side to side, adding to the picture.

Next to him on the table were two bowls, "Ramen?" Kagome arched a brow and came closer.

Sure enough, the bowls were filled with steaming noodles. She noted the addition of beef and vegetables and grudgingly admitted that she was impressed. When they parted ways he barely knew how to boil water.

"You made this?"

His gold eyes moved from the wall he had been glaring at as she examined the food, to her. He snorted. "Who else would?"

Whatever peace had settled over them shattered at his gruff words, she narrowed her eyes, "I'm not hungry." She spun on her heel and huffed, "Goodnight, Inuyasha."

His hand shot out and grabbed the exposed flesh of her arm. "Kagome-"

The reaction was instant.

The box dropped from her grip with a resounding crash as the trinkets met with the floor. A fire exploded within her, originating from the scar on her neck. She screamed as the burn spread through her veins. Her knees wobbled dangerously and she grabbed onto the nearby table top for support.

"Kagome!" His voice was distant, but the panicked tone still reached her ears through the heavy whooshing of her blood.

Inuyasha grabbed her other arm and the pain doubled.

She shoved him. "Get away!"

Her free hand clutched the wood of the table and used it to keep balanced as she wobbled to the other side.

"Stay away from me, Inuyasha." Her voice was pathetically weak to her ears, but her gaze was fierce as her eyes locked with his.

The half-demon growled, "No, Kagome." He stepped towards her and she matched it with a step back. "Let me look at it." His features set into a mask of seriousness she rarely saw on him.

"Absolutely not." Her hand slapped over the mark to punctuate her words.

He growled again and threw his arms up. "Why do you always have to be so difficult, Kagome?"

She opened her mouth to retort but it died in her throat when the half demon crossed the room in the blink of an eye and appeared before her. Her instinct from years of fighting came out immediately at the invasion of her personal space.

The hand on her neck shot out, palm up and aimed at the underside of his chin. The blow narrowly missed as Inuyasha sidestepped and grabbed her wrist.

He smirked and pulled her to him. Kagome hissed as pain flowed through her from the points of contact. He took advantage of her weakened state and quickly pinned her other arm to her side. He pushed her back until her knees connected with the cabinets and pressed his body against hers, offering her no room for movement.

"You still aren't good at close quarters, Kagome," his voice was light as he teased with a grin. "It's been three decades; I'm surprised Sango hasn't taught you better"

She glared- her cheeks rosy with embarrassment.

Inuyasha sighed and the small smile fell from his lips. "I know you're in pain, Kagome." He whispered.

She prepared to hit him with a sharp retort but the words died in her throat when he dipped his head to the curve of her neck. Her eyes widened as his breath fanned out over the angry red mark. She cursed the shiver that ran through her traitorous body.

"Leave me alone, Inuyasha." There was that pathetic helpless lilt again, her lips dipped downwards into a frown.

The hanyou pulled back for a moment to look at her, his gold eyes pleading. "No, Kagome." He dropped his head back to her neck.

Her body jerked violently when she felt the moist heat of his tongue run over the mark.

The fire spreading through her disappeared almost immediately, replaced by a calming warmth that deepened with each stroke of his tongue.

Her eyes drifted shut and her body began to relax against his. There was a protesting voice somewhere in her mind, but it was soon drowned in the soothing feeling that spread through her.

He pulled back slightly, the ministrations of his tongue stopped but the weight of his chin remained on her shoulder. "You will continue to hurt yourself if you keep rejecting it." His tone was gentle and his nose nuzzled the side of her cheek. "We are mates, Kagome. Isn't it time you came back to me?"

* * *

Miroku knew he was dreaming.

The grass beneath his feet and the clear air was as good an indication as any. The world hadn't looked this clean in centuries, not since he was a young man, before he had been approached by Toga Taisho with an offer of near eternal life.

He sighed happily and looked down at the empty dish of sake before him. "More sake, kind monk?" The beautiful brunette next to him asked, brandishing the sake jug.

"Or perhaps you would like me to pour your sake, dear monk?" The woman on his other side asked, leaning forward in an exaggerated display, showing off her round behind.

"Or me, sweet monk?" Another woman asked, appearing in front of him. As she bent forward the tops of her breasts could be seen from the part in her kimono.

Miroku sighed, what a fine dream indeed.

"Now, now ladies," He paused- something tickled his nose. "You will all have a turn to put my sake..." Something brushed his nose again. He frowned. He could see nothing touching his face, but the tickling was growing more insistent.

One of the women said something, but the words didn't reach him. The incessant tickling was getting worse.

The images of the women began to drift away, he stretched out an arm, but it was too late, he was being pulled out of his dream and back to reality. "No! Don't go!" The women, the grass and the peaceful clearing were so far away now. "What about the sake?!"

He groaned. The darkness was fading and he could see light through his closed lids.

With a grimace and a mumbled curse, he opened his eyes to find a pair of glowing red ones staring back at him. "Ah!"

Something clattered to his left followed by the sound of hurried feet. "What happened!?" A familiar voice cried before a pair of wide brown eyes framed by neatly trimmed bangs appeared above him.

"Sango?" She looked just as curious as he sounded, standing over the couch with a wooden spoon in hand. ' _So then…'_ he looked back to at the red eyes. "Kirara." The cat mewled happily and rubbed her face under his chin.

Sango let out a breath and giggled. "Looks like she really missed you."

Miroku grinned and sat up, cradling the affectionate cat demon in his hands. "Unfortunately, my natural masculine allure calls to all species." He shook his head and sighed. "It is truly a curse."

Sango snorted. "I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with your _allure,_ monk, and everything to do with the treats you used to sneak her."

Miroku shrugged and placed the cat down on the couch with a gentle scratch behind her ear. "Sango, your accusation wounds me!"

She turned her back to hide her grin. _'I guess he is the same old Miroku afterall.'_

She made a move to return to the kitchen when the pressure of a hand on her bottom stopped her. Her eyes widened, a second ticked, the hand squeezed. Her eye twitched.

The smack if the wooden spoon connecting with his cheek reverberated through the apartment.

"You're cursed in more ways than one, lech." She spun on her heel and stomped back to the kitchen, leaving the monk to stroke his red, spoon-printed cheek behind her.

Miroku smiled and watched her tend to a pot on the stove, her angry flicks of the spoon sending liquid splashing onto the stovetop.

His cheek ached, but he would happily admit that even a hundred docile, sake serving women in his dreams couldn't come close to his feisty Sango.

* * *

"We are mates, Kagome. Isn't it time you came back to me?"

Kagome's eyes snapped open.

The peace that had enveloped her as Inuyasha's tongue laved his mark drained away and was replaced with a cold fury.

Her holy powers surged within her. She concentrated on pouring out a low level of purifying energy and was rewarded with a yelp from the demon who held her captive. His body quickly drew back, releasing her shaking frame.

"You tried to purify me!" He sounded more shocked than angry as he looked at his tingling hands.

She snorted. "Oh, please Inuyasha. You know if that was my intention you would have been dust by now."

He growled. "What is your problem wench-"

"You are!" She pushed herself off the counter and sent him a scathing glare. "I am _not_ your mate, Inuyasha." She shook a finger in his face. "You had better forget that we were ever anything more than colleagues, because I have!"

His golden eyes flashed with hurt before anger took over. "We _are_ mates, Kagome!" He bared a fang as his face moved closer to hers. "You took my mark and you didn't seem to be complaining then!"

Her cheeks burned crimson. "Do not hold something I did when I was barely an adult over me, Inuyasha." She bit back. "The ritual was never finished; you know that as well as I do. This mark will fade in time, the other one already has."

He growled and took a step forward. Her eyes narrowed and she fought the urge to press back into the counter. A pink glow of purifying energy formed around her in warning.

"Kagome," Her name was barely more than a whine on his lips. He stepped back again and sighed, the anger seemed to leave him along with the breath. "It will continue to hurt whenever I'm near." He sounded desperate. "It's been thirty years and my claim still hasn't faded-"

"But it will." She took a breath and closed her eyes. The pink glow of energy dimmed then disappeared. When she re-opened her eyes, they held a tiredness that stemmed from more than just the use of her powers. Her voice softened. "You know- given time- it will. Please, just leave me be until then, Inuyasha."

His lips turned down, "Why can't you forgive me?"

Kagome bit her lip and raised her eyes to the ceiling. It was hard to hate him when he looked so helpless; right now, he reminded her more of a hurt puppy than the aggressive asshole she was so used to.

She glanced back at him and her resolve nearly broke. The sight of his drooped ears and slumped shoulders caused her hand to twitch to reach out and do…something. She just wasn't sure what.

The pang of pain from his mark started up anew, and she was overwhelmed with the urge to just be held by him again.

Inuyasha brought his gaze back to her, his golden eyes pleading. "It's been thirty years Kagome. Please, forgive me."

She sighed and looked away "I have forgiven you, Inuyasha." The pain in her neck began to spread again. A reminder.

Her eyes returned his and her gaze hardened. "But I will never forget what you did."

She pushed herself off from the counter and stepped around him and the box of her broken things.

"Kagome, wait!"

Her modest nails dug bloody crescents into her palms as she continued towards her room. The throbbing in her neck spreading further with each step, until it was a full body ache that deepened with each bark of her name from the demon behind her.

He followed her down the hall, intent on continuing their conversation, but a jolt of holy power stopped him as he came near her.

Inuyasha demanded the she stop, cursed a storm and commanded her to turn around and face him.

The mark reacted to him, it pulsed violently, but she ignored it. She swayed and her shoulder connected with the wall. Her vision swam and black tendrils began to creep into the corners of her sight. It was with sheer strength of will that she forced her feet forward, one in front of the next until she reached her bedroom door.

She cast him the darkest glare she could muster as she wrenched open the door before she loudly -and with all the dramatic flair within her- slammed it shut behind her.

In the silence of her room she exhaled- then crumpled. Her back hit the door before she slid down to the floor, her body landing on the carpet in a graceless heap of limbs and anguish.

A crash rang out beyond the door, followed by another, then another; each punctuated by a curse.

She knew he would continue for hours, she had once seen him fell half of a forest in a rage.

Using all her remaining strength she rolled herself onto her back and stretched her limbs. Her body was wracked with pulses of pain, emanating from either the mark on her neck of the damned constricting of her chest, she wasn't sure.

Another crash echoed beyond the door and, hidden behind the sounds of Inuyasha's fury, Kagome sobbed like she hadn't in almost three decades.


	5. Chapter 5

**IMPORTANT A.N- Well, I use "important" loosely. This chapter did take a while, and thanks for your patience! I actually was very productive during my stretch of absence, as returning readers may notice, the summary is different- not that this story will be going in a different direction, it's just that when I first started this years ago under my other user name, I wanted it to be a short comedy, now that I'm older I realize that this can be way more than just that. So, I gave it a new, more fitting, summary, edited all of the previous chapters (don't worry, nothing major has changed so a reread is unnecessary, unless you want to) and wrote a massive new chapter. I won't promise rapid updates, because I do have real world commitments, but at least I know exactly where this fic is heading now. Thanks to those of you who stuck around, and welcome to the new readers. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

 **Slow Day**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It was a slow day.

Not that she was complaining.

A slow day in a place like this was a blessing. But for her, it meant that no progress had been made. Momiji and Botan had been quiet, even Kouga and his wolves had nothing to report.

The silence was eerie and unwelcome. There was a strangeness in the quiet that sent her instincts wild. It felt too much like the calm before a storm.

Her eyes fell to the cup of green tea that one of the attendants had brought in. Her one attempt at relaxation and it was now cold and untouched; calm was just not coming easy today.

There was a rap on the shoji door to her room before it slid open. One of the attendants -whose name constantly escaped her- stood in the doorway. "Hey, Princess," She fought her frown at the nickname, "Madam says you have a customer. So, stop moping around and get yourself presentable." The other girl raked her eyes over Ayame's form with obvious contempt before departing with a slam of the screen.

Ayame scowled, ' _Bitch.'_

She took a breath and stretched her senses, listening for anyone nearby. A second ticked by -and apart from the tell-tale grunting down the hall- it was quiet.

With practiced ease, Ayame slid her claws into a gap between the pieces of tatami and lifted the straw covered foam, eternally grateful that _the Madam_ was too cheap to spring for the wooden stuff.

Three small vials of a thick blue liquid lay under the mat, she grabbed one and dropped the tatami back into place.

She pushed herself up and swirled the vial, watching as the blue liquid languorously moved from side to side. She closed her fist around it and made a mental note to let Botan know she was running low.

She ran her hand through her hair and examined her reflection in the mirror that hung alone on the bare walls.

She readjusted the cloth if her kimono and sucked her teeth.

She hated the thing.

It was a cheap imitation of the layered silks worn by real Oiran of the past, the fibers were heavy and scratched her skin. A bastardized version of something once resplendent.

She couldn't understand The Madam's obsession with being "authentic." She said she wanted to capture the essence of the old brothels, filled with Oiran and some semblance of dignity. She made the girls wear kimono, and powder themselves pale. They learned to serve tea, sing and dance before ending the night beneath their guest. She believed that this wormhole into the past would make them memorable. So, she harshly engrained the sense of feudal propriety into each woman under her employ; and yet, the youkai herself didn't even hail from Japan.

She was a buffalo demon from the West who had spent her childhood playing deity to the humans and had become enthralled with tales of the lands over the seas. When the time came, she left her herd and made the journey to the island she had long adored.

Ayame snorted, _'pathetic'_.

She had actually been there -though no more than a cub in her own right- she had seen the splendor of the times The Madam sought to recreate in this rundown hovel dressed up with dollar store lanterns and worn tatami. This pseudo-copy -with its cheap polyester garments and new age demons, hidden between abandoned warehouses- was a pale imitation of the bloody past that shaped Japan.

She ran her claws through her hair and readjusted her cleavage in the kimono. Whatever her feelings were, she had a job to do, and this place -whose drafty halls had been her home for months- was the best means to that end.

She stowed the vial of the viscous concoction in the long sleeves of her kimono and left, shutting the shoji door behind her.

* * *

Rin glared at the handle of the car door and checked the thin watch on her wrist with a scowl.

Forty-five minutes!

For forty-five minutes, she had been trapped. Held hostage in inhumane conditions and subjected to cruel and unusual punishment.

She felt the grip on her sanity wavering. This was surely going to be the end of her.

' _No!'_ She thought to herself with a shake of her head.

She was an agent of The Bureau, dammit! She would _not_ be bested by a _car_.

The surly demon who had locked her in the car however, was a different story.

She rolled her eyes at the thought of him. "Stay here, I will be back shortly" she mocked in as deep a baritone as her vocal cords would allow. Even to her ears the imitation was pathetically pale and lacking in that certain 'noble lord looking at a piece of shit,' quality that the demon had perfected.

Rin snorted. "'Back shortly,' my left leg! It's been forty-" her eyes dropped to her watch, "seven minutes!"

She fought the urge to hit the dashboard. If she had learned anything in the past forty-seven minutes it was that the only one who suffered from her abuse of the dash, was her.

She wiped her sweaty forehead and scowled at the moisture on the back of her hand. "Honestly, would it have killed him to crack a window?!"

A soft buzz drew her attention to her cell phone resting in the cup holder, the home screen was illuminated with a picture of Kagome half asleep on their old couch.

"I'm sorry, Rin!" Kagome exclaimed. "I was training with Sango. Is everything ok? You called almost 20 times."

"No, Kagome! Everything most certainly is not ok!" She moaned. "I don't know what to do with this guy. It's been two weeks and he's barely said more than three words to me."

Kagome sighed and Rin could imagine her rolling her eyes, "I'm sure it's not that bad."

Rin snorted. "He's locked me in his car…. again."

There was a short-lived pause on the other line, before the sounds of Kagome's ill covered laughter filtered through. Rin frowned, "Your sympathy is overwhelming."

"Well," Kagome giggled, "it is a bit funny. You do know you can unlock the door from the inside, right?"

"Of course, I know that!" Rin snapped. But I can't. I'm on Mount Hotaka, about two kilometers away from a cave some bat demons have been using to feast on kidnapped hikers. His highness, Lord of the Jerks, parked, took the keys, locked me in here and warned me that I'd set off the alarm if I opened the door or hotwired the car." Rin ignored Kagome's snort of laughter.

"Well, that does sound-"

"-He didn't even crack a window, Kagome! It's the dead of summer! I mean, who the hell does something like that?!"

"He's al-"

"-A jerk! That's who! A gigantic jerk-faced jerk!"

"Very creati-"

"-It's been two weeks, Kagome! Two weeks! And not once has he even looked in my direction! I mean at this point, it would take less energy on his part to acknowledge my existence than it has for him to ignore me!"

"Uh huh,"

"Do you know that I have made dinner every single night since we've moved in together and every night he walks right by it and makes himself something else to eat?! I don't have to do it, but _I_ am a decent human being, unlike him."

"Well, he's not really a-"

"-I just don't get it Kagome, what am I supposed to do?" There was a pregnant pause. "Kagome? Are you still there?"

Something clanged on the other line before Kagome's muffled voice replied. "Wuh? Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you were finished."

Rin rolled her eyes and leaned back into her seat, acutely aware of the moisture building along the back of her shirt- although to be honest, back sweat was the least of her perspiration problems. "You knew him before, right? I mean, he _is_ Inuyasha's brother, and you two _were_ partners for years. How did you get him to like you?"

"Like me?" Kagome sounded genuinely puzzled for a moment before she dissolved into a fit of laughter. "Sesshomaru doesn't _like_ me. He doesn't _like_ anyone. Honestly, I'd be surprised if I found out he'd ever even told his mother he cared for her."

Rin groaned as another bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face. "Well, I'm very happy that you're able to make jokes about this, but my sense of humor seems to left my body along with all of the moisture it contained."

"It's a good thing your sense of sarcasm is still in there though huh?" Kagome grumbled.

"Be serious Kagome! What do I do? He doesn't respond to me being nice, and I doubt he'd even notice if I tried to ignore him too. I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but" she released a strangled moan of frustration "I figure he should at least get to know me before he decides to hate me, right?"

Kagome sighed. "You're acting as if he's just some other member of the Bureau, Rin. He's Lord Toga's first born. Once he sees fit he will replace Kaede and become the head of this whole thing, and you…well, I mean no offense but…. well, to him, you're a burden right now."

Rin bit back the annoyed sound that threatened to escape and let her friend continue. "As far as I know, he's never liked partners, and the ones he has had have been some of the oldest and most skilled demons at the Bureau. To be frank, he doesn't _need_ anyone else. He _is_ a 700-year-old Daiyoukai who at one time was set to rule half the youkai in Japan. He's never been one for being social with anyone he doesn't think is his equal, and you can imagine how small that group is." Rin snorted. "Just give him time and continue to do what you're best at. I'm sure he'll come around. You know what they say, kill him with kindness."

Rin scoffed and readjusted herself, her legs were disgustingly moist and sticking to the leather seat. "I don't think I have much kindness left in me to kill him with."

"Hang on a minute, Rin." There were some muffled words on the other line before Kagome came back with a sigh. "Sango wants to talk to you about this, apparently, my advice is "only going to get you killed."" Kagome snorted and handed the phone off.

"Look, Rin," Sango continued without pause. "I normally agree with Kagome, but this is definitely not the time for "kindness." And Sesshomaru is definitely not the person to use it on."

"How- "

"You need to challenge him."

"….I hope you mean to a pie baking contest…"

"Be serious, Rin. You need to challenge him to a sparring match."

Somewhere in the background Rin could hear Kagome shouting "have you lost your mind?!"

"I'm going to have to agree with Kagome on this. You obviously have me confused with someone who doesn't value their life."

"You'll lose, obviously,"

Rin rolled her eyes " _obviously_."

"But Sesshomaru does respect bravery."

"I think you're forgetting the difference between bravery and stupidity, Sango. He can _literally_ step on me." Again, Kagome could be heard in the background loudly agreeing with Rin. "Why are you at Kagome's anyway? You haven't killed Miroku have you?"

Sango snorted, "No, the monk is still alive…not for lack of trying though. And I'm not at Kagome's place, she's at mine."

"Again?"

"She's still hiding from Inuyasha –ow! Well what else would you call it?"

Rin snorted out a laugh as an argument broke out between the two. "It must be nice, still being so close to each other." She sighed lightly. "I'm trapped in the mountains with the king of passive-aggressive and you guys get to have slumber parties."

"Don't worry, Rin, things will cha- "

"-Oh," Rin cut in, catching sight of silver in the rearview mirror. "He's coming back. Gotta go!"

"Don't forget what I said, Rin!"

"Yeah, I'm definitely forgetting that. The ice king approaches, so goodbye ladies!"

It wasn't long before the driver's side door unlocked and Sesshomaru was seated next to her.

The tip of his pointed nose crinkled, making Rin acutely aware of every bead of sweat that was currently rolling across her skin.

"So, how was the mission?"

Sesshomaru put the key in the ignition and began reversing the car down the narrow road they had taken.

"Oh, well that sounds lovely. Sitting in the car was just swell in case you were wondering. Perhaps a bit of AC next time though." The demon didn't spare her a glance, Rin rolled her eyes. "And some music too."

Rin stretched a hand to the radio, only to have it caught midway to its destination.

She sucked in a breath as his calloused digits circled her wrist and looked up to find his gold eyes glaring down at her.

"No music." He said, then released her wrist and returned his gaze to the road.

Rin dropped back into her seat with a huff. The momentary surge of hope for some kind of amiability that the small contact had roused in her quickly shriveled and withered away within her chest. She sighed lightly and looked out the window, her hand absently wiped off another bead of sweat on her forehead as she contented herself with the idea of pouting for the rest of the ride.

Suddenly, a cool burst of air hit her warmed cheek, accompanied by the happy hum of the car's AC. Rin turned wide eyes to the demon next to her only to find him still focusing on the road ahead.

She turned back to the window and smiled to herself.

* * *

"Izumo-sama, surely you have grown accustomed to my beauty by now, yet your eyes remain so fixed on my every move." Ayame looked up from the strings of her samisen to meet the brown eyes that had been leering at her for the past 15 minutes. "One might think you more hawk than bull today."

The dark haired young man, Izumo, raised his eyebrows and blushed lightly before releasing a nervous chuckle. "It's just…well…you seem _different_ today." He quickly lifted his sake dish to his lips and took a generous sip.

"Oh?" Ayame tilted her head curiously and stilled the bachi she held. "I believe that I am just the same as the last time we met, but I would love to hear your opinion on the matter." She fought the urge to roll her eyes at her flowered speech, and instead forced her lips up into a coy smile.

This mission, and all the submissive pretenses that went along with it, could not possibly end soon enough.

"Well…" Izumo scratched the back of his head and fidgeted, Ayame couldn't help but giggle at the very _human_ behavior.

The bull hanyou was such a rare breed.

Meeting him had not been part of her plan- that she credited to an immense stroke of luck.

When she began her assignment at the brothel almost a year ago, it was because her work with Kouga and his team on the drug trafficking in the underground led them there.

Over the years, The Madam had managed to insert herself as a staple in the demonic crime scene and became a trusted name for the different gangs of the underground; valued for her ability to move product and her discretion in all matters. Her brothel- they had suspected- served as a waypoint for the larger hand offs and many other shady dealings- but, without eyes on the inside they lacked the evidence necessary to bring in the might of the Bureau.

That was where Ayame came in.

As the only demon female in their group, she was the sole candidate to get work as one of the prostitutes- not that Momiji or Botan had been jumping to volunteer anyway.

Weeks after Ayame began, Botan managed to snag an attendant job –which were primarily given to down on their luck humans and demons who could not sustain humanoid form- cleaning and bringing food and drink for customers. Fortunately, unlike Ayame who had to stay within the brothel at all times, Botan worked set hours and was not allowed room and board; enabling her to play messenger for their group.

After nearly six months of patience and more than a few underhanded deeds, Ayame managed to climb to the top of The Madam's list of favorites and became a fixture at the demoness' side.

For months, she passed on information on the different syndicates that used the brothel to Botan, who in turn delivered it to the Bureau. After nearly 9 months, the Bureau was finally poised for attack. But, just days before a massive raid was scheduled- not only for the brothel but the headquarters of many of the syndicates who had dealings through The Madam- _he_ walked in.

Izumo Matsumoto, Head of Research at Onigumo Pharmaceuticals.

Ayame practically tripped over herself to get the message to Botan to call off the raid.

His initial visits were brief, strictly private meetings with The Madam that even Ayame wasn't admitted to. But, after weeks she managed to catch the attention of the shy half-demon. Soon after, they were meeting twice a week but still he remained tight lipped about his business with Onigumo Pharmaceuticals and his meetings with The Madam.

"Well?" She prodded, her hand reaching to the bottle of sake to refill his dish "you cannot just bait me with a statement like that then not follow through with an explanation." She pouted prettily, copying the gesture she had witnessed one of the other girls use to get her way with a client. "I didn't think you could be so rude, Izumo-san."

Izumo was a handsome man, tall with broad shoulders and a bumbling sort of innocence that had endeared him to Ayame; she couldn't help the real laugh that bubbled up at the sight of his fidgeting. "You see," he cleared his throat and averted his gaze from Ayame's bright blue eyes. "Last time I was here you were rather-" he coughed, "eager."

Ayame's cocked her head to the side in confusion. She hadn't seen Izumo in almost a month and she couldn't remember anything out of the ordinary about their last meeting…unless…

"You mean, during your visit two weeks ago?" She nearly groaned at his sheepish nod.

Of course, he would have come by then- the only time she had ever left the brothel for her meeting at the Bureau, leaving one of the shapeshifting Kistunes in her place.

She knew it was a bad idea letting one of them loose here. A Kit in a whorehouse was worse than a kid in a candy store.

"I apologize for my forwardness," she moved to sit next to him, intentionally brushing her chest against his arm as she settled. "It's just that your visits have become so infrequent of late, I was a bit overzealous in showing my joy." She placed her hand on his knee. "Did I displease you, Izumo-san?"

He sputtered and his face took on a distinct redness, Ayame fought down the urge to laugh, Izumo was always so easy to tease when he was in this form.

The beast he became once the moon was high, however, was a different story.

She withdrew her hand and offered him a small smile. "How about I get some tea to calm you? It seems we've already finished your sake- then you can tell me all about what has kept you from me for so long."

She stood and sauntered to the shoji door, adding just the right sway to her hips to capture the young hanyou's eyes. She cleared her throat at the threshold and his gaze rose to her laughing blue eyes, she winked and he practically turned puce. With a hearty chuckle, she shut the door behind herself.

Down the hall, a blue haired attendant in a muted brown kimono stood, hastily wiping a spot on the wall. "Botan," Ayame hissed.

Botan sighed, "Jeez, how many times do I have to tell you, in here it's Chiho!" She whispered angrily.

Ayame rolled her eyes, "oh, whatever. I need some tea for Izumo." She glanced around before pulling the blue vial out of the pocket in her kimono's sleeve and handing it over to the Botan. "I'm running low by the way."

Botan nodded and slid the vial into her kimono. "I'll let Momiji know, cutting it kinda close today though, ne?"

"Moonrise isn't for another hour or so. With the amount of sake I've given him I'm hoping I can get something useful out of him tonight before the tea kicks in." Ayame paused and tilted her head; someone was coming down the hall. "Now hurry along, don't make me wait, Chiho."

Botan nodded and hurried away as another attendant turned the corner.

* * *

Rin normally spent any time in Sesshomaru's presence filling the silence with inane chatter. He never replied or really acknowledged her, but she wanted to be sure that if he ever got the urge to talk, she was there with a conversation waiting.

However, on this ride back to his home she was uncharacteristically mum. It wasn't that she couldn't think of anything to say, in fact her mind was buzzing with potential topics of discussion, but for some reason she just couldn't bring any of the ideas in her mind to her tongue as easily as she usually did.

Perhaps it was a side effect of what she was sure was some form of heat stroke.

Instead, she spent her time in the car staring at the scenery whiz by and sending wary –and hopefully unnoticed- glances at the enigmatic demon sitting next to her.

It had been a little over two weeks since she had officially moved in with Sesshomaru, and in that time, he had said nothing more than the absolutely necessary. She couldn't say that he treated her as if he was annoyed by her presence, in truth, she doubted she was important enough to him to be considered annoying. He treated her the same way one would a watermark on their table; easy enough to ignore, too insignificant to be a real bother, and would not be missed whenever you got around to getting rid of it.

She had hoped that he wasn't as bad as everyone said he was. In fact, as a vehement believer in the "glass half full" school of thought, she remained optimistic that behind closed doors he would reveal himself to be more than just a slab of marble.

That optimism was promptly crushed the day she was to move in.

Unlike her friends who had gotten addresses to their new apartments, she was given coordinates- yes, it was strange, but as someone who fought monsters in the shadows for a living, it wasn't really worth more than a raised eyebrow.

So, with the two boxes of her belongings securely packed in her car she drove four hours from her home of almost a decade in Chiba to a dirt road north of Mount Tanigawa.

It was surprisingly secluded, but it wasn't long before the thick trees and nearly non-existent path put her little Jeep out of commission.

With another mile to go, she left the car, pulled out her boxes and decided to hoof it. A decision the heavy summer air made her quickly regret.

After much huffing, puffing and sweating, she and her boxes made it to her destination…. Which was apparently a giant rock... deep in the forest... where she had no reception… not that she'd been given Sesshomaru's number anyway.

With a less than dignified huff, she plopped herself onto a soft mound of grass and waited- for what? She wasn't sure, but there wasn't much else she could think to do.

After 2 hours of waiting, however, Rin could think up quite a colorful list of things to do; all of which involved a certain pale haired demon and her large collection of throwing knives.

It wasn't until the moon was high in the sky and her patience had disappeared with the sun, that a rumbling sound from the forest pulled her attention from her thoughts.

For a moment, she'd thought the growling was a product of her empty stomach, but it quickly became clear that there was something in the darkness around her. She had just pulled out the two daggers she kept tucked into her shorts when two pairs of flashing yellow eyes emerged from the tree line.

' _Dogs?'_ She tilted her head as two identical furry faces appeared from beyond the tree line. The dogs -deep brown and white Akita- were massive, easily reaching her chest on all fours. Their movement were slow so she stowed one of the blades and reached out her hand –she'd always had a soft spot for furry critters.

One dog gingerly sniffed her fingers, offered a gentle huff then turned away, with the other dog following closely behind. They both stopped, half covered by the shadows of the trees and gave her a distinctly "come hither" look before continuing.

Rin was dumbfounded for a moment, stuck between turning back to her car and heading straight to the Bureau or following two strange dogs into the woods in hopes of…. well, she wasn't quite sure what.

With a sigh, she gathered her boxes and followed the dogs.

Looking back on it now, it probably wasn't the sanest decision she had ever made, but it did pay off.

The two dogs walked side by side as they led her deeper into the darkened wood, moving in a strangely perfect sync- even their furry tails whipped side to side in unison. After a little less than a mile they dipped into the opening of a small cave.

The magic in the chamber was palpable, it sparked and zinged and pushed against her, then- as quickly as it came- dissipated. The dogs waited patiently for her to adjust before continuing.

The cave went further back than she originally imagined and though it wasn't completely dark she still tripped a few times. It was when they began to climb a rather steep incline that she noticed something strange happening to the animals in front of her.

They shimmered.

Their fur began exuding a low light; a light blue hum of energy that she knew was the hallmark of a shrouding spell. Suddenly the shimmering dimmed and then –like rain on fresh paint- the fur began to lazily roll down the sides of the beasts, dropping to the ground in thick clumps and disappearing in a cloud of blue sparks.

The dogs seemed unfazed by their molting flesh and fur and continued on as she stared, transfixed and slack jawed. Their bodies stretched and widened and melded into one, their tail elongated and a mane of dark hair sprouted along the stretching necks. The creature growled, a thick, deep, beastly rumble as emerald green scales began to push up from the now furless flesh.

Rin had been so in awe of the transformation that she hadn't noticed the bright light at the end of the incline until the beast was shrouded in it then disappeared. She hurried behind and emerged into the heated night next to a hot spring and a massive single-story wooden house built into the side of a cliff. "What the-"

The beast was waiting for her and with a great shake, the last vestiges of fur disappeared revealing a stately two headed dragon.

"Right." She nodded. "Ok. It's a dragon…because of course he has a dragon."

It didn't take long for her wariness of the beast to wear off. While Sesshomaru was little more than a phantom during her stay – missing for the first three days after her arrival and barely acknowledging her when they finally did cross paths- the dragon was omnipresent.

When she woke up he was outside of her room, after her shower he was waiting for her, when she ate he stared at her. At first it was strange; but the creature seemed more curious than threatening and since her only communication with the dog demon had been the post-it's he'd left on her bedroom door ("Human, this will be your quarters ") in the kitchen ("Human, feed yourself") and in a hallway she suspected led to his room ("Human, turn back.") the dragon quickly became her only real source of company.

She was snapped back to the present as the lush forest scenery she had been gazing at disappeared into a darkened cave; Sesshomaru must have taken the turn into the underground tunnel that led up the mountain to his home (something that Rin would've loved to have been aware of the first time she had journeyed there). It wasn't long before they were pulling into a parking spot in the garage hidden beneath the mansion.

As per usual, Sesshomaru got out of the car and strode up the stairs that led into the entry way without so much as a backwards glance. Rin groaned and dragged her feet.

By the time she made it to their living room, Sesshomaru was already seated on the couch with his laptop. It was an odd sight since he usually did his work in the den, but she shrugged it off; it was his home after all, he could do as he pleased.

And she had to admit, it was a rather beautiful home at that. The single floored mansion was made almost entirely of wood and was a blend of traditional sukiya style and modern western architecture. It was a masterpiece of high, patterned wood ceilings and open airy spaces, unencumbered by much furniture. Nearly each room could be opened to the beautiful landscape outside. It was clear that this was not a Bureau owned home, but she guessed that being the future head of the agency and first born son of Toga Taisho had to come with some perks.

Nevertheless, Rin was still amazed that this perfect mix of natural style and comfort belonged to a demon like Sesshomaru. She pegged him more as the large grey room type, with no windows… perhaps a single chair.

She contemplated making herself something to eat, but the residue of sweat was oppressive on her skin so she opted for a quick shower first.

When she re-emerged into the living room almost 30 minutes later clad in comfortable sweats and a T-shirt, Sesshomaru was still on the cream-colored couch, tapping away at his laptop. If it wasn't for the pile of papers that now covered the center table Rin would've thought he hadn't moved at all.

She made her way to the open kitchen behind the living room and began to rifle through the fridge. Just as she finished pulling out the last ingredients for gyudon the dragon padded in through the living room's open shoji door and made a beeline for her.

"Oh, I was wondering when you'd show up." Rin smiled at the two-headed beast who offered her a contented hiss in reply. "So, did you have a pleasant time in the woods?" The dragon hissed again and found a comfortable spot on the floor to curl up, one head began to doze off while the other kept his yellow gaze on her. It was comically large in the kitchen, but Rin didn't mind, the beast seemed to think itself more dog than dragon and she was willing to indulge it for the time being.

Rin began to slice the onion for her dish and set aside a large chunk, "care for a snack?" The dragon perked up and stretched its long neck towards her. Rin smiled and held out the onion, then dissolved into a giggle as the dragons forked tongue licked the center of her palm long after the onion was gone. "That tickles, A-Un!"

She pulled her hand away and rubbed behind the dragon's ear before turning to the sink.

"A-Un?" The questioning voice was low and so unfamiliar that she thought she had imagined it. She glanced at the couch, but the demon was studying the papers in front of him.

"Um…did you say something?" Rin almost definitely expected no response, after all, her questions had never yielded an answer before, so she was pleasantly surprised when the demon actually turned to look at her.

"You call him _A-Un_?"

She shifted nervously, "um, yeah. I-I didn't know if he had a name, so I gave him one." Sesshomaru seemed to grow bored with the conversation and returned to his papers. Rin was undeterred by what she assumed he meant as a dismissal. She was determined to not let this opportunity pass. "Does he? Have a name I mean."

The silence hung heavily for almost a minute before he replied. "If he does, it is in a language I do not speak."

"Oh," she nodded dumbly and bit her lip as she racked her brain for something to add. "Well…I guess it will be A-Un from now on then ne?"

"It is a foolish name."

Rin sputtered, even A-Un jerked his head up- whether it was from actual affront or because of the noise she made was debatable. "Well, I like it!" She stuck out her chin, "and so does he! Just because you don't doesn't mean you have to be rude."

"I was not being _rude_ , child." Sesshomaru replied offhandedly. "I was merely stating a fact. Perhaps you should be less easily offended."

Rin's temper flared immediately, but she refused to succumb to the urge to throw something at the back of the smarmy demon's head. Instead she took a deep breath and released the knife she had been using...just in case.

"Well," she ground out through clenched teeth, deciding to leave the room with the sharp objects all together, "maybe you shouldn't be so easily offensive." All right, that definitely wasn't the peacekeeping sentiment she had intended.

"You are quite spirited, for such a little thing."

She felt something snap within her, and knew it was the last string of her patience. "Look here you jerk," she was standing in front of him now, wagging a finger angrily and glaring down at him. Sesshomaru at least had to decency to look up from his papers, if only to arch a silvery brow at her forwardness. "I am not a _little thing_ and I am definitely not a _child_!"

"Hn?" He almost appeared amused. "Perhaps calling you a "toddler" would be more fitting for this tantrum?"

She stomped a foot, which in hindsight was probably not the best response to that comment. "You know what? I've put up with your grumpy attitude for weeks and I'm at my limit with it! Kaede partnered us together-"

"No."

She paused, "What do you mean, "no"?"

He sighed and set down his papers, unabashedly taking his time as he arranged them just so on the table. Once satisfied, he placed his elbows on his thighs and interlocked his fingers, he placed his pale pointed chin on the bridge they made and leveled a stare so intense that Rin inadvertently shivered. "Are you unable to grasp the meaning of so simple a word?"

She felt her face flush and her hands balled into fists at her sides. The nerve of the man! Her mouth opened to give him a piece of her mind, but the glare he sent her caused her jaw to snap shut with an audible click.

"Kaede did not "partner us." For this to be a partnership you and I would have to be equals on _any_ level. Which. We. Are. Not.

"What Kaede did was burden me with an untrained, loud mouth _child_ , in the hopes that I would teach her to be a somewhat capable agent." He stood then, his eyes remaining locked with hers the entire time.

It was intimidating the way his body unfurled as he rose from his seat, languorous but unmistakably dignified. He was a lithe wall of pure strength, towering over her by more than a foot and practically oozing malice. He bent his neck and looked down at her, making her feel every bit a cornered mouse in a lion's den.

"Do not mistake this for something that it is not. You are, at most, my ward. I am to attempt to keep you alive, and if you learn a skill or two along the way, then at least you will prove to be less useless than I initially believed."

Instantly, Sango's words rang in her ears and Rin -red cheeked and shaking with fury- lifted her arm, pulled it back, and swung straight for Sesshomaru's face.

* * *

"I apologize for that Izumo-sama." Ayame said with a dramatic sigh. "The attendants here can be a bit mouthy sometimes, but someone will be by with tea for us shortly."

She made herself comfortable next to him and settled back into her role of doting courtesan. She coaxed him along with light brushes of her hand along his thigh, her shoulder would press into his with practiced timidity while her trained gaze kept careful track of his inebriation.

Izumo swayed gently in his seat and his glazed eyes roamed her figure lasciviously. Soon his hands would begin to follow the trail blazed by his eyes.

There was a knock at the door and she rose to greet the attendant.

Botan was bowed on the floor outside with the tray of tea laid out before her, as Ayame lifted it the blue-eyed priestess raised her head and murmured "43 minutes." Ayame shut the door and returned to the drunken man staring at her hungrily across the room.

The change would come soon- she could already see his more animalistic desires cresting the surface of his previously humble gaze.

"So, tell me Izumo-san, what is it that has kept your visits so sparse of late? Surely you haven't replaced me with someone else?" She pushed a cup of the steaming tea into his hands.

Izumo chuckled, "where would I possibly find someone to surpass you?" Her cheeks heated in spite of herself.

"Such flattery, Izumo-san." She crooned. "So… if it isn't a woman, then is must be work, ne?"

Izumo took a deep gulp of his tea, which Ayame hastily refilled. "Work has been rather exciting lately."

"Oh? How so?"

"We're making 'uge strides, big big things." Ayame hid her smirk at his slurred words. Izumo had never been much of a drinker -she had never gotten him to imbibe more than two glasses of sake- today however he had already finished one bottle, and the spiked tea was only adding to the looseness of his tongue.

"Do tell," she refilled his emptied cup with the last of the tea.

"You're always so interested in my work." His eyes narrowed over the rim of his cup. Ayame shrugged delicately and took the empty cup from his hand. She remained calm under the growing speculation in his gaze.

At least ten minutes had to have passed since Botan had delivered the tea. In this room –without a clock or a view of the outside- her gauge of time was normally left to educated guesswork, but judging by Izumo's increased aggressiveness, she knew moonrise could not be far off. She also knew she had a little over 20 minutes before the tea would reduce him to a snoring mass of explicit dreams.

"And you're always so secretive about your work," she countered.

He chuckled and shook his head, the tense moment dissipating instantly. "Well… I suppose I am." He hiccuped. "Something spectacular happened today, that's why I'm here tonight, it's a celebration." He threw his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap.

Ayame forced a demure laugh and pressed her hands against his chest. His eyelids were drooping, but she could clearly see the beginnings of red around his irises. It was a race now, between the sedative in the tea and the demon within him that moonrise released.

She needed to get the information _now._

"A celebration?"

"Oh yes, my dear." He barely suppressed a yawn. "It's taken years, but I finally did it," his head was drooping.

"Did what?" Ayame pressed, her tone was urgent, she could already sense him slipping into the dream world the drug induced.

"Changed the world," he mumbled, his glazed eyes meet hers, they were more red than brown now. A hand reached up and Ayame shifted in his lap, assuming he meant to touch her, instead he reached into the inner pocket of his blazer and pulled out a small box emblazoned with indiscernible characters. "I've created this."

His fingers fumbled with the latch for a moment before finally managing to pop open the lid.

Ayame gasped.

Resting on a small pillow inside the box- pulsating with a power so dark it made her hair stand on end- was a round pink jewel.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think, R &R. Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN- Hello? Anyone still reading this? Sorry for the epic delay...life, as always, will get in the way of hobbies. Anyway, if I read this one more time,I'm fairly certain that my eyes are going to burst. I don't know how happy I am with the final product, but I think I just need to post it or else I'll be editing until next year. As always, thanks for reading and a special thanks to everyone who has reviewed/followed/faved!**

 **Chapter 6**

 **The Best Laid Plans**

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 _There was smoke._

 _And a fire- hot and heavy and suffocating._

 _Wood groaned and crashed, raining flaming debris._

 _Then, above the chaos she heard a cry. Shrill, panicked. Blood curdling._

" _Ayame!"_

* * *

Ayame's eyes snapped open and her body lurched forward, sucking in gasping mouthfuls of air. The scream was still ringing in her ears, clear as day, reverberating through her bones.

Her eyes darted around the darkness and her mind raced, attempting to make sense of the cold pavement beneath her and damp brick wall pressed against her cheek.

Had she really passed out?

She groaned.

Gods above...

 _'What a sorry fucking end to a sorry fucking day.'_ She pushed down the urge to scream her frustrations into the night (opting to instead pencil some of that in for the moment she was out of the damp alley) and, with the aid of the questionably moist wall, she pulled her aching body into a standing position.

" _Ayame!"_

The phantom scream shot through her again, louder this time and accompanied by a flash of memories so vivid it made her knees buckle. She cursed again.

"Oh, Kami," She heaved a defeated sigh. "I don't have the time for this."

Her body burned with pain, "exhausted" didn't even come close to covering the soul deep fatigue she felt and, if she was completely honest, she was afraid. But none of that mattered now. She had to keep going. So, with one final steadying breath she began dragging her bare feet forward, pointedly ignoring the screaming voice that continued to echo in her head.

" _Ayame! Just go!"_

Her left hand gripped the elbow of her right arm, clutching it tightly to her body; unfortunately, her half-assed attempt to steady the arm did little to stop the pain radiating from the dislocated joint of her shoulder.

 _"Ayame! Just go!"_

The wound on her leg throbbed with each step and the blood was steadily seeping into the fabric of her kimono, making the already uncomfortable garment clingy and warm. And, judging from the pain, she would bet she had two- _'no, three…definitely three'_ \- broken ribs.

' _And, icing on the cake, I lost my fucking shoes! Kami only knows what kind of shit I'm step-'_ Something clanged to her left.

Immediately she held her breath, pressing herself into the wall, praying the shadows would conceal her from any one passing by. The sound came from less than 100 meters away, it wouldn't take long for someone to catch up if they were following her. She strained her ears, trying to catch any footfalls headed her way. She tried to scent the air, but it was useless. Her own blood overwhelmed her nose, making her dependent on her other senses and painfully aware of the strong trail she was leaving.

Seconds passed in silence and slowly, Ayame began to relax her tensed muscles. She mentally thanked every deity she could remember; right now standing was a proving to be a challenge, she didn't even want to think about having to fight someone. Still, she knew couldn't remain in the alley's all night, she was alone, and while the dark streets offered her protection, any number of unsavory characters could also be lurking in the shadows.

She tried not to dwell on thoughts of how completely cut off she was from the others. There was no point in upsetting herself further. She had to focus on getting The Bureau, no matter what.

Right now, her only hope lay in Boton having managed to send her shikigami to Kouga before-

" _Ayame! Just go! Run!"_

She shook the voice from her head and continued forward. She had to move.

The fingers of her dislocated arm tightened around the small intricately designed box she held.

" _I'll hold them off, Ayame! Just go! Run!"_

"I'm so sorry, Boton." She murmured.

It was a poor excuse for a eulogy, but right now it all she had to offer.

* * *

It was a stupid move. A stupid, **stupid** move -and Rin knew it the second she let her fist fly towards Sesshomaru's snooty, holier-than-thou face.

The part of her that acknowledged the absolute stupidity of the move felt a burst of relief when her fist continued to sail through the air, unobstructed by said snooty, holier-than-thou face. However, a much larger, angrier part of her –the part she would later come to admit was inclined to these random acts of stupidity- was infuriated that he had so easily sidestepped her (completely justified) assault on his person.

"That's it!" Rin snapped, glaring up at him. "I've had it with you! If you want to talk down to me and belittle my skills the least you can do is fight me and see what I can do."

Sesshomaru graced her with a fleeting glance before stepping around her tiny form, pointedly ignoring the sputtering that followed.

Rin, however, refused to be deterred. As the demon rounded the couch she hastily vaulted over the piece of furniture and landed directly in his path. She received an arched brow and the barest of sneers for her efforts.

"Look, buddy-" she began, her index finger back to wagging threateningly at the demon. "You have a problem with me and I have a problem with you. As far as I see it, we can either shuffle around here without talking or we can settle this in the training room right now."

Rin was sure that the look she received was probably the closest Sesshomaru ever got to being"amused."

"You expect to defeat me?"

The response -despite being that perfect mix of condescension, disdain and sarcasm that she had come to associate with Sesshomaru- threw her for a loop. She honestly expected him to just continue on his merry way around her…or (the more realistic option) give her that "you're a pile of poo" sneer, and then continue on his merry way around her.

His engagement in the conversation must have meant that he was somewhat interested... right? _'Come on, Rin. You got this!'_

"Well- I-" she paused and chewed over her next words, "no, not really." She resolved, blushing lightly before she puffing back up and steeling her gaze. "But I do expect to show you that I am more than just some tag-along you can leave to overheat in a car whenever you feel like it."

"That will be unnecessary."

"But-"

"You are weakest with the sword." Sesshomaru cut in, in a tone she would almost call exasperated. "Your aim is accurate with guns and sniper rifles- however you lack the patience necessary to be useful as a sniper. You prefer knives, daggers and small explosives. Your hand to hand combat skills are abysmal, however in close quarters you are…proficient with the sai- your weapon of choice."

Rin gaped, her mouth hanging open long enough to warrant a derisive glare before she snapped it shut. "How do you-"

Sesshomaru's brow creased slightly, the only visible sign of the war raging within him as he fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Your file." He stated plainly before brushing past her, pausing at her side just long enough to completely crush the remaining bit of boldness she had spent the past two weeks gathering. "You are out of your depth with me, _child."_

And then he was gone, disappearing down the hall towards what she assumed was his room.

She wasn't sure how long she stood there, staring at the spot he once held, but when A-Un's gentle chuff of breath on her arm drew her from her reverie Rin realized two things:

One; she really, _really_ did not like that guy.

And two; the pompous jerk may, possibly, slightly, perhaps be _somewhat_ correct.

* * *

When the first raindrop splashed against her cheek, Ayame nearly dropped to her knees and gave thanks to whatever deity had clearly not forgotten her.

The wound in her leg was beginning to heal, but even with her demon blood, it would be hours before it could support her properly and days before it was completely normal. To make matters worse, the wound still had not completely closed and continued oozing blood, leaving behind an obvious scent trail for any demon in the vicinity with a half-decent nose. The rain, she hoped, would wash it away.

But now, twenty minutes later, the light rain had turned into a downpour, filling every dip in the street with a murky puddle of water and back-alley goo. She could barely hear anything over the pounding water and it rendered her nose as useless as those of her pursuers (at least, she hoped so).

The adrenaline that had pushed her on this far had ebbed considerably, and when she blindly rounded a corner and walked face first into the chest of a seething, fully-transformed Izumo, it took all of Ayame's pride as a demon not to just break down and sob.

There was no time to gasp out a plea before his clawed hand was around her neck. She could barely react when her head hit the wall with a loud, wet _smack_ as he hoisted her off of the ground.

Pinned to the wall, Izumo's transformed body loomed over her- a massive, towering wall of blue-black muscle that seemed to suck up what little light there was in the alley. Her panicked mind struggled to reconcile that this creature with the face of a mad bull, whose hand was crushing her wind pipe so viciously, was ever the soft spoken gentleman she had seen just hours ago.

"Where is it?!" He snarled with a voice too deep and too gruff to have ever been associated with the mild-mannered Izumo. Her good hand clawed vainly at his arm, barely even scratching the skin beneath the dark hair.

She opened her mouth, intent on spewing defiant curses at him but all that escaped her lips was a series gurgled, unintelligible noises.

"Tell me!" He roared, shaking her like a rag-doll.

For a split second, his grip loosened and Ayame greedily sucked in a gulp of air only to have it violently forced from her body as his fist landed squarely in her gut. Something cracked. She tasted blood.

"Speak, wolf!" Again, he slammed her limp form into the wall.

Darkness began creeping along the edge of her vision. "I-Izumo….please…." she gasped out.

The beast snorted. "Save what little breath you have left, girl." His grip tightened. "Izumo is not here to save you."

Her head swam, his words were muffled, the darkness of unconsciousness was inching closer. ' _This is it.'_ She was going to pass out, and this demon would get the jewel and then, she would be killed.

If she were able, she would have laughed. _'Gods_ , _if this isn't just the most pathetic way to go.'  
_

Botan had sacrificed herself so that she could get out of the brothel and have a chance of getting to The Bureau, and now, not even two hours later, she was caught and dangling, near-lifeless from the hands of a _hanyou_.

' _No, dammit!'_ Her mind screamed, pushing back valiantly against the encroaching blackness. _'Not like this.'_ She seethed, forcing her impossibly heavy body to respond to her. _'I_ _will not let Botan's death be in vain.'_ She raised her hand back to his arm and gripped it weakly, the no-longer-Izumo snorted. _'I will not die in a goddamned alley.'_

"Still have some fight left, do you?"He released a noise that she could only assume was a laugh.

She brought her green eyes to meet his red ones defiantly. _'I_ _will not_ _die fucking barefoot and dressed like a whore from the damn 1600's!'_

With a surge of what she was sure was the last bit of strength her body retained, Ayame sunk her claws deep into Izumo's forearm and kicked out her legs, hoping to at least startle him into loosening his grip and offering her a chance to escape.

However, what she had hoped would be a glorious final attack was little more than a weak twitching of her battered limbs. The contact she was banking on never came, and for one terrible moment she was overcome with the crushing weight of her inevitable death.

Then, suddenly, his hand was gone from her neck and she was falling. Her knees crashed hard onto the wet floor, but she was too exhausted to even cry out at the searing pain that rippled through her broken body.

She sucked in mouthfuls of air, choking and heaving as her abused throat fought against her. The world was spinning and black dots were filling her vision. _'Thank Kami!'_

Her confused, oxygen starved mind raced. She hadn't touched the demon, she was certain of it, and yet a wild glance around the alley revealed him to be crumpled and seemingly unconscious against the wall across from her.

The world lurched unsteadily, her vision went almost completely black and for some unknowable reason the pavement was so very close to her face.

As her body tumbled completely onto the wet cement she caught sight of a pair of icy blue eyes, then darkness.

* * *

Sango was a modest woman, but, if pressed, she would admit that she did excel at a few things.

She was an accomplished fighter, an ace marksman, a good cook, a great pool player and –behind closed doors- more than a halfway decent singer.

But, the one trait she was most proud of, was her patience.

More than a century ago, she had learned the value of true patience on a mountainside, at the end of the tusks of a boar. And each day the pale-white, twin scars that adorned her back reminded her of that lesson.

Patience -she grew to learn- begot knowledge, it engendered wisdom and taught compassion. Because of this, she often became a sounding board for her friends, especially when they were faced with matters of the heart. It was a role she took seriously, and one that she approached with all the patience at her disposal.

Now, however, after two straight weeks of listening to Kagome grumble, gripe, groan and grouse about Inuyasha and his many - _many-_ faults, the seemingly endless well of Sango's patience had all but dried up.

"-and The Bureau called yesterday with our first mission for tomorrow." The younger woman continued from her seat across from Sango at the kitchen table, ignorant of the mounting frustrations of the demon slayer. "Can you believe it? I don't know how Kaede expects me to go to Hikone with him! What if this mission takes days? Alone with that crude, tactless-"

Like a rubber band pulled too tight, Sango felt the last strands of her patience snap. "Alright, Kagome!" The silencer she had been cleaning slammed onto the kitchen table with a _bang!_

Kagome noticeably jumped.

"I know you are unhappy" Sango began, pushing herself away from the table and rifle she had been working on, "–kami knows how well I know that- and I know that you don't feel for Inuyasha as you once did. But, my goodness Kagome, when has this job ever been about how _we feel_." She ran a hand over her face, ignoring the slack-jawed, stare she was receiving.

She continued, her tone dropping from frustrated to chastising as she went. "The bad guys aren't going to be any less bad today because we don't _feel_ up to fighting them. And their targets aren't going to be any less dead because we didn't _feel_ like saving them.

"So, you think Inuyasha is moody? Well, Miroku is a pervert, and Sesshomaru is…I don't really know what he is, but it isn't pleasant either! This job isn't about who we work with, it's about _what_ _we work for_." She leveled a hard stare at Kagome, who shifted uncomfortably under the penetrating glare. "This tantrum you're throwing is selfish, and childish and the consequences are just too high for me to allow it to go on any longer."

"But-"

"-No, Kagome." Sango objected. "Miroku and I will be leaving tomorrow for a mission overseas," she stretched her hand across the table to cover Kagome's. "Stay the night, think things out. And tomorrow go home and talk to him. I'm not asking you to get back together, or to even be friends, but at the very least, you need to find some sort of middle ground."

Kagome was silent for a moment, her brown eyes downcast and pensive. "I-" she hesitated, then took a breath before bringing her eyes to meet Sango's. She gave her friend's hand a gentle squeeze and offered a shy smile. "Thank you… but I think I should head home now."

Sango smiled, feeling the storehouse of her patience slowly refilling. "Good to hear, Kagome."

* * *

Even before her eyes opened, Ayame knew that it was Kouga holding her. The thought did not make regaining consciousness seem appealing in the slightest.

The scent of rain still hung heavily in the air, so she knew she couldn't have been out for too long.

His arms were wrapped a bit too tightly around her to be comfortable and he was running at an almost human speed. She was sure these accommodations were made with her battered body in mind, even still, the dip that followed each jump jostled her dislocated arm painfully, forcing her to bite back her whimpers. A little pain now vastly outweighed the nagging she knew was waiting for her the moment her eyes opened.

"I know you're up, Ayame."

Well, shit. So much for that idea.

She cracked open her green eyes just enough to glare at the underside of his chin. "Then maybe you could be a little more careful." Her voice was hoarse and weak. She frowned lightly and brought her hand to rub the abused flesh, more than a little thankful for the demon blood that had protected her from what would surely have been death at Izumo's hands. "In case you haven't realized, I got my ass handed to me a second ago."

"And whose fault is that?" Kouga snapped, a low growl rumbling like thunder in his chest.

Ayame's eyes widened, surprised at his harsh tone. She had expected that Kouga would be upset at the state of things, after all, she had just flushed months of work down the drain- work that he had been just as invested in as she was. She knew that she would be on the receiving end of some kind of scolding, but she never expected him to snap at her like that.

This wasn't the first time he had had to come to her rescue over the years- far from it if she was honest- but his chastisements were never worse than a hair ruffle and a "what the fuck am I going to do with you?" Kouga was never curt, and he never, _never_ , growled at her.

"I-" she bit her lip, "What happened?"

He scoffed and from her position in his arms she could see the angry tick of his jaw. "I should be asking you." He leapt onto a new rooftop and Ayame sucked in a breath at the sharp pain the landing brought to her-well…everything. The pain, however, did bring to light a new realization.

She gasped, "You're running through the city?! What if someone sees-"

"What the fuck else could I do, Ayame?" He bit back, "You were half dead, passed out in your own blood in an alley after being choked by some damn Minotaur-"

"-Izumo didn't know what he was doing-"

"-Your job was to observe and gather information, Ayame." Another warning growl rumbled in his chest, her mouth snapped shut. "Now, I have to drag your half-dead ass back to the Bureau and explain to Kaede why that brothel is destroyed, and why you're bleeding out, and why the drug bust we've spent a year on is fucked, and why Botan-"

Ayame's eyes widened, "-Botan! Is she- did you…"

The unasked question hung heavily in the air for a moment before Kouga sighed, most of his anger seeming to leave him with the breath. "Her shikigami found us." He began, "the thing was barely holding on- couldn't even tell us what happened; so we hightailed it to the brothel. Halfway there I caught your trail and we split up. Hakkaku and I went looking for you, and Ginta and Momiji went to the brothel." His hands tightened around her. "They _will_ find her, Ayame."

While Ayame found his near constant sureness comforting, it still couldn't wipe away the feeling of guilt that gnawed at her. She looked away, focusing on the glittering fluorescent lights as they sped through the rain soaked city. "It's my fault." She whispered.

Kouga frowned.

"She protected me. I just- I saw that _thing_ and I-"

"Shut up, will you?" Kouga snapped, startling her. "Did you see her die?"

Ayame paused, shocked at the bluntness of his question. Then again, this was Kouga and tact had never been a strong suit of his. "No."

"Then what the fuck are you cryin' for?" He snapped. "Botan isn't a lightweight like you, it'll take more than one little fight to take her down." He offered a lazy half smile. "So, quit your whining, it's giving me a headache."

Ayame's lip twitched. "You're such an ass, Kouga."

"You know, I can drop you right-" he stilled suddenly and in his arms Ayame could feel his body tense. "Shit." he glanced behind them.

Ayame lifted herself up enough to peek over Kouga's shoulder, squinting into the darkness. The rooftops behind them were empty, but far in the distance she could she something moving against the blackness- a large, lumbering shadow. "Is that...?"

"Goddamn it." Kouga cursed, picking up his pace. "Why the hell didn't you drug this guy?"

"Of course, I drugged him, you idiot." Ayame snapped. "It didn't work."

Kouga snorted. "Are you sure you did it right?"

"Of course I- No, you're right Kouga, I mean it's not like I've used this daily for months to stop guys from having sex with me or something." She huffed. "Of course I did it correctly, you idiot! Something's just not right with him. That _thing_ chasing us is not the same Izumo." She frowned."He's _way_ too strong for a half demon. He tossed me around like it was nothing."

"Sure you're not just too weak to take on a hanyou, princess?"

Ayame's good hand grabbed the damp fabric of his shirt. "I'm serious, Kouga!" She snapped. "Izumo's always been a good man! He was never anything less than kind to me – a bit handsy after he transformed- but never cruel. It's that _thing_ he had- the jewel."

"Jewel?"

Ayame's hand left his shirt and reached into the folds of her kimono, ignorant of the blush blooming across Kouga's cheeks, and pulled out the engraved box. "He said he created it. That it would change the world." She fingered the clasp, idly wondering if this was how Pandora once felt. "This thing is bad news, Kouga. The power rolling off it is warped and dark and just... I don't even know what, I just knew I had to get it to Kaede. When he passed out I took it, but as soon as I did….I-I don't know what happened. He just woke up and the energy coming off him was just as dark as the jewel." Her brow furrowed. "He has to have another one on him somewhere, there's no other way the Dream Sleep wouldn't work on him."

Something crashed behind them, Kouga cursed.

"Well, that doesn't really change the fact that I need to stop that idiot before some human gets caught up in his rampage and you need to get to a healer." As if on cue, another crash rang out, closer than the first. "Ay! Hakkaku!"

Ayame had forgotten about the second demon who had accompanied Kouga, but in moments he appeared next to them, panting heavily.

"Catch!" Before Ayame could understand what he meant, she was sailing through the air, heading straight for the wide-eyed wolf demon on Kouga's left.

"Kouga!" She screeched. "You fucking-"

"Take care of her, Hakkaku." Kouga called -ignoring the choice words being hurled his way- before turning on his heel.

Ayame pulled herself up in Hakkaku's hold, leaning her top half over his shoulder to yell at the demon racing away from them.

"Don't you dare get killed, Kouga!"

Kouga threw a wolfish grin over his shoulder. "I ain't at weak as you, Princess. I'll be back before you know it."

And then he was gone, swallowed up by the darkness.

She sighed. "You better be."

* * *

 **Reviews are always appreciated, until next time!**


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